Economic collapse, financial instability crushing AP
AMARAVATI: TDP former finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu on Wednesday described Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy as a ‘runaway CM’ bent on preventing the State Assembly from discussing burning problems like current charges, price rise and economic collapse.
Ramakrishnudu said that CM Jagan Reddy was using ‘political terrorism’ every effectively to stifle the voice of the opposition and general public in every way possible. The House session should be held for at least 15 days but the Government opted for just one-day to suit its ulterior purposes. Apparently, Jagan Reddy was running away from his accountability to the State legislature.
Addressing a press conference here, the TDP leader said the CM should realise that his Cabinet was accountable to the Assembly eventually. All the Cabinet decisions and their consequences should come up for debate in the House. The members should be given ample chance to raise issues relating to the people and the State. The YCP regime was transgressing the special privileges of members to reflect public opinion in the House.
Ramakrishnudu asserted that the Telugu Desam Legislature Party (TDLP) would strongly object and demand in the meeting of Business Advisory Committee (BAC) for holding 15-day session. If the contentious issues of the State were not debated, it would be the people who would suffer greatly but not CM Jagan Reddy. Already, the CM’s policies have caused total collapse of the State economy and ushered in financial instability and huge debt burden.
The TDP leader said all sections of AP society were badly affected because of negative growth rate, absence of investments and denial of job opportunities. From students to teachers to weaker sections, everybody was suffering right now. Ultimately, the Government was collecting Rs. 10,000 from poor families for pucca houses that were built since 1983.
Decrying the Government’s ‘anti-people policies’, Ramakrishnudu criticised that Jagan Reddy had crushed all sources of revenue growth for the State but his henchmen were given ample opportunities to loot all resources. In the face of declining State revenues, CM Jagan was squeezing taxes and collections from the public. Loans had to be brought even to pay salaries.
Ramakrishnudu expressed concern that by the end of 2021-`22 financial year, AP debts would rise to touch Rs. 5 lakh crore due to financial mismanagement of the Jagan regime. The State would have to pay over Rs. 1 lakh crore towards principal and interest on the overall debts. Jagan Reddy was causing an irreparable damage to the State economy such that the next Government would not be able to do anything.
The TDP leader demanded that the Government should make sure that all problems of the State come up for debate in the House. Jagan Reddy should answer in the Assembly why the State registered a negative growth rate of 13 per cent. The growth rate was 10.22 percent during the 5-year term of the TDP but it slipped to -2.58 percent under the YCP rule.
Meanwhile, the TDLP decided to raise the failures of the ruling YSRCP with regard to prices of essential commodities, municipal taxes, garbage tax, financial crisis, CPS cancellation, APPSC job notifications and so on. The other issues that came up for discussion were AP becoming drug hub of India, diversion of funds meant for Centrally sponsored programmes, GO No. 217, fishermen’s problems, mining seigniorage by private agencies, Agrigold depositors, hereditary assets registration, Amaravati agitation and mortgaging public assets.
