Tadepalli, Dec 19: Former Minister and YSR Congress Party Doctors’ Wing President Dr. Seediri Appalaraju stated that the massive response to the one-crore signature campaign against the privatisation of government medical colleges is the biggest public response in Andhra Pradesh’s history and amounts to a clear referendum against the Chandrababu Naidu government’s policies. Speaking to the media at the YSRCP Central Office in Tadepalli, he said that out of 1.60 crore families in the state, 1.04 crore families came forward to sign against privatisation, reflecting overwhelming public opposition and a deep sense of betrayal by the government.
Dr. Appalaraju said the two-month-long movement, launched at the call of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, mobilised intellectuals, students, women, neutral sections, and even other political groups. During door-to-door interactions, people not only opposed medical college privatisation but also expressed anger over the government’s failure to implement pre-election promises, including pensions, gas cylinder subsidies, unemployment allowance, women’s assistance schemes, farmers’ support, and welfare programs like Amma Vodi. He said people clearly felt cheated and stabbed in the back by the ruling coalition.
He strongly criticised the government for misrepresenting the Parliamentary Standing Committee report, clarifying that the committee never endorsed handing over existing government medical colleges to private players. The report only suggested encouraging private investment to expand capacity, not privatisation of public institutions. Despite claiming a lack of funds, the government has borrowed Rs. 2.70 lakh crore in just 18 months, about Rs. 550 crore per day, enough to build one medical college with a single day’s borrowing, yet it is choosing privatisation purely out of political vendetta, fearing that completing these colleges would bring credit to YS Jagan, he alleged.
Dr. Appalaraju accused Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu of massive public fund wastage, citing Rs. 330 crore spent on a one-hour yoga event, thousands of crores on temporary buildings in Amaravati, exorbitant spending on water pumping, clearing bushes, roads, bridges, and new secretariat complexes, while claiming inability to fund medical colleges that already have financial tie-ups through central schemes, NABARD, and institutional support.
He termed medical college privatisation a “mega scam,” where government land, buildings, infrastructure, and staff are handed over to private entities, while profits go to private players and the burden remains on the public. He questioned the logic of the government paying staff salaries for two years even after handing over colleges, estimating a payout of nearly Rs. 1,200 crore for ten colleges, enough to build two to three new medical colleges. Calling Chandrababu Naidu not a “visionary” but a “poisoner of public healthcare,” he warned that all such decisions would be reversed and thoroughly investigated once YSRCP returns to power.
Dr. Appalaraju further questioned Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s silence over the seizure of massive quantities of beef in Visakhapatnam, asking why a self-proclaimed “Sanatani” leader failed to speak up. He also clarified that the Parakamani case settlement occurred under court supervision in a Lok Adalat and had no connection with YSRCP, accusing Pawan Kalyan of politicising the issue with a narrow mindset
He concluded by stating that the one-crore signature campaign reflects the true mood of Andhra Pradesh’s people, who are deeply dissatisfied with the government’s performance and rampant privatisation of public assets. He asserted that YSR Congress Party, under YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s leadership, will continue to stand firmly with the people, resist the sell-off of public institutions, and pursue legal and democratic battles to protect public healthcare, education, and state assets.
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