What Is The Use Of Investors’ Summits?

Saripalli Colony, Visakhapatnam District: My Padayatra in Visakhapatnam district came to an end today. As I step in to Vizianagaram district, I carry with me loads of memories of the love and affection people showered upon me so unconditionally here—right from Narsipatnam to Bheemili, the respect and affection shown by people of the twelve constituencies of the district I passed through, is something I shall never forget. Kancherapalem stands out among public meetings in my memory.

On the flip side the brazen corruption of the ruling party left me aghast. Land grabbing, atrocities, irregularities and violations of law by TDP leaders, which people brought to my notice, shook me to the core. It also revealed the sad fact that no development has taken place in the past four and half years. After my father’s rule, all development came to a standstill with the TDP doing precious nothing, it was evident. Etikoppaka, Tandava, Tummapala, Govada— cooperative sugar factories in all these places are being driven into losses and there is a great need to support and revive them.

There is a dire need similarly, to protect the dairy farmers of the region from the loot being indulged in by Heritage among others. If the unchecked land grabbing activities of the TDP are not reined in, the poor will not have an inch of land left. It became clear that people feel more battered by the TDP rule than natural calamities like the Hud-hud cyclone!

Unemployment, is perhaps, the single largest problem which the financial capital of Visakhapatnam faces today. While new companies and investments are not coming in, existing ones are being shut down, adding to this. What is the use of an investors summit on which crores of rupees have been spent by the TDP government?

The growing tide of investments bragged about by our ruling party leaders, is nowhere to be seen, nor are the millions of jobs they claim to have created to be found! If there had been any truth in the statements of the TDP leaders, why would the youth of the city and state find themselves in the situation in which they are today? Today, my Padayatra progressed through Anandapuram and Pendurthy constituencies. Mahesh, Suryanarayana and other unemployed youth met me near Akkireddypalem. They complained that industries in Auto Nagar were giving jobs to non-locals and that as a result of this, local villagers, especially jobless youth, were compelled to migrate to other places in search of work.

Women from Boddapudivanipalem and Bandhamvanipalem met me and told me that their villages get only saline water. One has to either buy drinking water or go to neighbouring villages to fetch it. The negligence of the TDP government on this count is truly shocking. The government should be held squarely responsible for this pathetic state of affairs.

Women from Pendurthy mandal, working in the mid-day meal program met me in the evening and told me that though they had been working for years, cooking for children and serving them, they were being paid paltry amounts. What is worse is that even these small amounts paid as remuneration are not being given for months and bills remain unpaid for long periods. They were distraught saying, “how should we cook for these children when bills remain unpaid for months? The eggs they supply are rotten. On top of everything, they accuse us of feeding substandard food to children. They are taking commissions and handing over the job to private operators,“ they lamented. “How are we to be blamed?“ This was their anguished lament. It is sad indeed, that even the mid-day meal programme meant for poor children, gets targeted by the greed of the ruling party leaders.

I have a question for the chief minister—in your election manifesto, you had promised mineral water to every household in the state. Forget about mineral water, what about the many villages which do not have drinking water?