Minister Mekapati Slams Pawan Kalyan Over Divis Labs Issue

NELLORE:  Andhra Pradesh Minister for Industries Mekapati Gautam Reddy slammed Jana Sena Chief Pawan Kalyan for falsely accusing the Government over Divis laboratories and said that Pawan Kalyan has been speaking without any knowledge.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, the minister clarified that job opportunities for locals have increased in YSRCP government, where 75 % reservation to locals was brought in 2019 itself. He said that first preference will be given to those families who have given land for industries in the respective villages, second preference will be for those in that mandal and the third preference for those belonging to the same district. The State government is also providing skills courses to the local youth for employment opportunities.

The Minister said that Pawan Kalyan has been speaking without any knowledge or basic understanding and stated that he has been provoking the youth in the wrong direction. He said that the previous government had given permission for the establishment of Divis laboratories in 2015 and Pawan Kalyan is the one that was associated with TDP in that period.

The Minister questioned why did not Pawan Kalyan go against the TDP government in the past.The State government had clearly directed the management of Divis, not to proceed further without resolving the local’s issues, and the government constituted a committee with experts from both industries and fisheries department.

Minister Mekapti Gautam Reddy said that Pawan should write to Nimmagadda Ramesh to stop the elections if he is really sincere about the lives of the people, as local body polls interrupt covid vaccination that poses a risk to the public.