Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the Telugu Desam Party national president N. Chandrababu Naidu, despite his 45 years of political life and being Chief Minister for 14 years, had only squeezed the backward classes for his political mileage but kept boasting about social justice.
Addressing a public meeting in connection with the launch of the III phase of the YSR Cheyutha scheme at Animiganipalle in the Kuppam Assembly constituency on Friday, the Chief Minister termed Mr. Naidu as a “non-local” to Kuppam, and a local of Hyderabad, who had neither a house nor a vote in Kuppam.
During his maiden visit to Mr. Naidu’s bastion, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy repeatedly referred to his political rival as “Peddamanishi” in a sarcastic tone, while terming himself as “Mee Bidda” (your son).
Though Mr. Naidu knew that the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi branch canal alone could bail out the farmers and public of the Kuppam region from scarcity of irrigation and drinking water, he thought the project was a big obstacle to his political hegemony, he said. “Naidu always makes tall claims that he was the ringmaster who could select Prime Ministers and Presidents in New Delhi, but it is ridiculous that the water taps in Kuppam have no water. Only at the fag end of 2019, Mr. Naidu initiated the canal works for getting commissions from contract works given to his party cadres,” Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
Ever since the launch of the Telugu Desam Party in 1982, not even once a candidate from the Backward Classes was fielded in Kuppam, which has a large BC population. “Everyone knows how Naidu backstabbed N.T. Rama Rao after showing false love. The same thing he is doing for the people of Kuppam and the backward classes. Naidu has become the ‘care of address’ for bogus votes and backstabbing,” Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
He alleged that Mr. Naidu during his tenure as the Chief Minister had resorted to large-scale corruption in the name of water supply through hundreds of tankers and showing fake accounts. The Kuppam municipality had no double roads, no government colleges, and no employment for thousands of youth. “After 2019, the people of Kuppam chose to vote for the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes. This led to the sweeping victory of the YSRCP in civic bodies and local bodies’ elections here,” the Chief Minister said, taking credit for making Kuppam a municipality and a revenue division as well, which was pending for 55 years.
Saying that he would treat Kuppam on a par with the Pulivendula constituency, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said during the last 39 months the YSRCP government had spent ₹1,149 crore in the Kuppam region for the DBT and Non-DBT schemes, largely benefitting the women’s groups.
Reservoirs sanctioned
Amidst applause from the crowd, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy announced sanction of two reservoirs with a capacity of .77 and .33 TMC to be built at ₹250 crore in Gudupalle and Shantipuram mandals of the constituency. “The Handri Neeva branch canal works would be completed in the next six months to benefit the farmers and people of Kuppam,” the Chief Minister said.
Accusing the earlier TDP government of stalling the Palar river project, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that he would do his best to resume the project with ₹120 crore budget at the earliest. He also announced ₹100 crore funds for the development of Kuppam, Ramakuppam, Shantipuram, and Gudupalle mandals in the constituency.
He said that the State government was committed to the goal of 31 lakh housing units, of which 10 lakh units were completed. The State government had so far spent ₹1.71 lakh crore for the DBT and ₹1.41 lakh crore on the non-DBT schemes. He reiterated that women empowerment would be given top priority in the State, focusing on dairy development and cottage industries.
Tight security
Meanwhile, the district administration made elaborate arrangements for the participation of women's self-help groups that attended the meeting in large numbers. The police took up heavy barricading in Kuppam and traffic diversions all over Kuppam as part of the bandobast. Giant banners and flexies were erected all over Kuppam to welcome the Chief Minister, who arrived from the Renigunta airport by a chopper.
Ministers Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy, K. Narayanaswamy, R.K. Roja, Collector M. Hari Narayanan, senior officials of various departments, MLAs from Chittoor and Tirupati districts, and party leaders were among those present.
