Alleging rampant corruption in every sphere of economic activity during the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) rule in Andhra Pradesh, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary N. Lokesh has promised to constitute a judicial commission if his party wins in the 2024 Assembly elections to fix responsibility for the same.
Addressing a massive public meeting at Muthukur on July 1 (Saturday) as part of his Yuva Galam padayatra in the Sarvepalli Assembly segment, Mr. Lokesh said that the “ill-gotten wealth of corrupt YSRCP leaders, including Ministers, will be confiscated, and they will be sent to jail after a thorough probe.”
“Sand, liquor, ganja and mining mafias are ruling the roost in the State, including in Nellore district, where crores of rupees worth silica has been illegally mined by the YSRCP leaders and transported to other States,” Mr. Lokesh alleged on the 143rd day of his padayatra from Gopalapuram village.
Action against ‘erring’ policemen
Erring police personnel, who, in collusion with the ruling YSRCP leaders, foisted cases on TDP leaders and activists would not be spared, Mr. Lokesh said.
‘‘After inquiry, such personnel will be dismissed from service,” he said, amid loud cheers from the party activists.
“The TDP leaders with highest number of cases foisted on them for fighting for people’s cause will be suitably rewarded with nominated posts when the TDP comes to power,” he said.
‘’As many as 20 false cases have been registered against me by the vindictive YSRCP government, including one under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act,” he said, asserting that he would not be cowed by such ‘‘intimidatory’‘ tactics by the ruling YSRCP, which, he said, was unnerved by the “tremendous public response” to his walkathon.
All “politically-motivated” cases foisted on a section of the media would also be withdrawn if the the TDP wins, he added.
‘Kakani will not go unpunished’
Referring to the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into to the theft of evidence in a case involving Agriculture Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy and others from a Nellore court, Mr. Lokesh said the Minister, who had little time to address the problem of peasants, including spurious fertilizers and denial of fair price for paddy growers, would not go unpunished.
Exhorting farmers to break the smart meters for farm pump-sets brought by officials, he said the TDP would stand by them and come out with policy measures to overcome agrarian crisis as the State stood third in suicide by farmers and second among tenant farmers.
All concessions provided to those in the aquaculture zones would be extended to their counterparts outside the zones, he said.
Mr. Lokesh questioned former Irrigation Minister P. Anil Kumar Yadav as to what had happened to his promise to complete the Polavaram project in 2020 itself.
“When will the project see the light of the day,” he asked. Unsure of getting the YSRCP party ticket, Mr. Anil Kumar had given vent to his frustration in various fora, he contended.
Mr. Lokesh said efforts of the former Industries Minister, Mekapati Goutham Reddy, to bring new industries went in vain due to lack of support from Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, whose regime saw flight of industries.
Sops for youth, women
The TDP, if voted to power, would provide a monthly allowance of ₹3,000 each to unemployed youth and create 20 lakh jobs in public and private sectors in five years, Mr. Lokesh promised.
Expressing concern over abnormal increase in the prices of all essential commodities, including vegetables, Mr. Lokesh said women were in tears with the per-kg prices of tomato and chilli crossing the ₹100-mark.
Every woman in the 18-58 age group would be given ₹90,000 each in five years. Similarly, three cooking gas cylinders would be given free of cost in a year to mitigate the sufferings of women in the wake of heavy dose of taxes and hefty hike in power tariffs and bus fares, Mr. Lokesh said. Women would also be extended free travel in State-owned buses, he added.
Former Union Minister Panabaka Lakshmi and former Minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy were present.
