Amaravati, Dec 11: Asserting that it was Chandrababu Naidu who diluted the demand for Special Category Status (SCS) by agreeing to a Special Package putting State benefits at stake, Minister for Agriculture Kurasala Kannababu said the opposition has no moral right to speak on bifurcation promises.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, he said that the same Chandrababu Naidu who is now accusing the State government over SCS, had indeed welcomed the financial package for the State, which was announced by the Centre and even thanked the Union Government by passing a resolution in the State Assembly. He slammed the previous TDP government for mortgaging SCS for Andhra Pradesh in exchange for a special package that solely benefitted Naidu and his benamis. He said that the State lost its privileges because of Naidu and the government is now forced to plead for special status.
Recalling that it was YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who made the YSRCP MPs resign and protest for SCS, he said Chandrababu Naidu didn’t take such a step. He said that Chandrababu had pocketed the announced special package and looted public money. He questioned Naidu why he maintained silence in the past and now alleging the Chief Minister.
In this regard, the Minister said that Amaravati is an asset for Chandrababu and his benamis, which is worth over Rs 2,00,000 crore and has been inciting people of that region to protect their ill-gotten properties. He said that the entire State was mortgaged by Chandrababu only to safeguard his 30,000 acres in Amaravati. He said that Naidu will not agree even if the government wants to set up a single capital somewhere other than Amaravati.
Speaking on the CID raids former officials of Skill Development Corporation, Minister Kannababu stated that it is the government’s responsibility to unearth the truth and take action against those who committed irregularities. He said that shell companies have been set up to divert hundreds of crores of public money during the TDP regime and criticised them for alleging political vendetta for questioning the wrongdoings. The minister advised Chandrababu to watch former justice Chandru’s video, who hailed the government’s initiatives before trying to defame the government.
Earlier speaking on the paddy procurement, the minister said that paddy procurement is being done at RBKs in a most transparent way without the involvement of any middlemen like brokers and millers. Heavy rains have damaged crops in some districts, however irrespective of the damage, the government has been procuring even the discolored grains. So far 2,36,880 tons of paddy have been procured through 7681 RBKs and also requested the Centre to relax the procurement norms especially during natural calamities keeping farmer fraternity in view.
