Ex Minister slams Peddireddy for telling lies on roads development
Minister Sankara Narayana ignorant of basic facts
AMARAVATI: TDP former Minister S. Chandramohan Reddy on Friday slammed the Jaganmohan Reddy Government for trying to cover up its ‘failures’ by launching a misinformation campaign against the previous Chandrababu Naidu regime.
Chandramohan Reddy asserted that the TDP Government laid roads for over 6,694 kilometres by spending Rs. 3,690 Cr but Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy was saying that only 330 kms roads were laid at that time. Everybody knows how the roads have turned into death traps and highways to hell due to the utter negligence of the Jagan Reddy regime. The present Government was not even repairing existing roads not to speak of laying new ones anywhere in the State.
Addressing a press conference here, the TDP leader deplored that a situation was now created in AP that the people were afraid of coming out on the roads for fear of meeting with fatal accidents. The R&B department existed only on paper and it was nearly closed for all practical purposes. The vehicle users were falling in the potholes and losing their lives but the Government was not taking any measures to carry out repairs. The CM should explain why Rs. 4,500 Cr of ongoing road works were stopped immediately after their YSRCP party came to power.
Chandramohan Reddy recalled how the previous TDP rule brought approvals for Rs. 6,400 Cr loans from the New Development Bank (NDB). The Jagan regime cancelled this project on the pretext of not having interest to pay its 30 percent share. This was despite the fact that the repayments could be spread over 20 to 30 years. Has the Jagan Reddy Government got stuck in such a bankrupt situation that it could not give matching grants? On the other hand, the YCP Ministers were not focusing on their departments as they were totally scared over when they would lose their portfolios.
The TDP leader termed it as deplorable that Minister Sankara Narayana was speaking in such a manner that he did not know the meanings of the NDB, AEB, plan and non-plan expenditure. Moreover, the Minister was making laughable statements that all the road projects would be completed in one year from now. The previous TDP rule laid 2,634 kms roads under the PMJSY. The TDP laid another 1,370 kms at Rs. 848 Cr under the SC sub plan and 2,230 kms roads at Rs. 711 under the NREGS funds. The TDP rule spent Rs. 594 Cr and converted 1,277 kms of gravel roads into BT roads.
Chandramohan Reddy expressed concern that the Jagan Reddy Government was endangering the lives of the people by not spending any funds on the roads. They have brought all road projects and repair works to a standstill only to avoid spending funds on them. They were avoiding the road project only to wash their hands of matching grants from the State Government. Now, the YCP Ministers were making all sorts of false statements to throw mud on the previous Government. Even after two and half years of coming to power, the CM and his Ministers were wasting time by blaming the previous regime and doing nothing for development.
The TDP leader said that the contractors were not coming forward to take up road works in AP only because they were unable to pay huge commissions to the ruling party leaders. The TDP rule ensured transparency in the CFMS method of making payments. But now, Finance Secretary Satyanarayana was making payments only to those firms which would pay 15 percent. The TDP implemented ‘first come first serve’ method but now the Jagan regime brought in the commissions raj.
