*Chandrababu’s speeches turn Comedic, lack seriousness on People’s Welfare*

Tadepalli, April 8: YSRCP General Secretary Gadikota Srikanth Reddy ridiculed Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s repeated claims that he is responsible for everything from mobile phones to Anantapur’s greenery, calling them “comedic” and reflective of a lack of seriousness toward people’s welfare. Addressing the media at the YSRCP central office in Tadepalli, he said Naidu had in fact weakened Rayalaseema by reducing the Handri-Neeva project capacity from 40 TMC to 5 TMC, while former CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy restored it to 40 TMC and completed it, enabling the region’s growth as a horticulture hub through free power and subsidies.

He stated that Chandrababu has consistently neglected Rayalaseema, remaining silent on Karnataka’s Almatti and Upper Bhadra projects and Telangana’s diversion of Krishna waters, while halting the nearly completed Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project under external pressure. He further said the government shifting institutions like the High Court and Law University out of Rayalaseema, deepening regional injustice.

Launching a strong attack on Amaravati, he termed it a “centre of massive corruption,” alleging that Rs 51,000 crore loans were raised, with around Rs 13,000 crore diverted as contractor commissions. He questioned the inflation of construction costs from Rs 4,000 to Rs 16,000 per sq ft and alleged that Rs 8,000 crore mobilization advances included nearly Rs 6,000 crore in kickbacks, with contracts concentrated among select firms. He clarified that YSRCP is not against Amaravati, but opposes corruption in its name, and warned that the project could burden future generations with nearly Rs 2 lakh crore debt, contrasting it with Telangana Secretariat built at about Rs 600 crore and citing failed global models like Naya Raipur and NEOM.

Srikanth Reddy also accused the government of resorting to character assassination, including targeting women family members of YSRCP leaders, to deflect from corruption allegations. Highlighting governance failures, he said the coalition government stalled ports, fishing harbours, and 17 medical colleges, failed to release DA to employees, neglected teachers, and allowed law and order to deteriorate, citing incidents like an MLA locking an SP office. He concluded that the government’s rule is marked by deception, anti-farmer policies, regional injustice, and corruption, warning that people will soon put a full stop to this governance.