TDP Rulers Take Up Projects Only For Kickbacks

Seemanaiduvalasa, Vizianagaram district: I started my Padayatra this morning from the Thotapalli project where I camped for the night. Villagers from Nandinivalasa told me with palpable anger, how they felt let down by the government which had cheated them with promises of resettlement.

It is indeed unfortunate that Chandrababu does not show the same kind of zeal to rehabilitate these villagers, which he does in publicizing. Incidentally, while he goes about a hurried inauguration, it is important to bear in mind that the project was completed during my father’s tenure and there was very little which remained to be done.

In many places during the course of my Padayatra today, I could see banana plantations completely destroyed by Titli cyclone. Near Gijaba, I went and saw one such banana plantation which had been devastated by the cyclone. Farmers complained to me saying that not even three-fourths of the amount spent on the crop was given to them as compensation. While this government has not paid compensation for victims of Hud Hud cyclone for years, suddenly it announced compensation to victims of Titli cyclone as my Padayatra approached these parts, the villagers pointed out. Whatever little they got by way of compensation was only because of my Padayatra, they said. It is unfortunate that the Chandrababu Naidu government is obsessed with publicity and political mileage rather than helping these poor victims.

However, farmers told me near Gijaba that water from Thotapalli was not reaching villages which had sacrificed the most for the project. They were furious with the TDP government for not taking any measure in that direction. If only a lift irrigation scheme had been set up near Basangi, more than 16 panchayats would have been getting water. Is it not ironical that the Chandrababu Naidu government should call itself a government of farmers? Isn’t it a cruel joke on farmers?

Tribals from Tulasivalasa met me on the way. They told me about the neglect of rulers, corruption, discrimination and vices which plague this government. The bridge on Nagavali between Poornapadu and Labhesu was being built at snail’s pace, they fumed. What would have been a distance of 5 km after the bridge was completed is currently a detour of 50 km, they said. Crossing the river in country boats was a dangerous experience, they remarked. The bridge will prove to be a very useful one connecting villages with the local headquarters and nearby Odisha, they pointed out. Two years passed and money was being spent and the work was not getting done, they complained. It is worth noting that this TDP government takes up projects and schemes only for kickbacks to its leaders.

This backward area which is known for villages with impoverished farmers does not have free electricity. One can imagine the situation elsewhere in the state. Kannammanayudu of Venkatarajapuram who owns an acre of land and Rajyalakshmi of Ramanaiduvasala, who had two acres, complained that the electricity bills they got into thousands of rupees. “Anna, don’t farmers get free electricity?,” they asked in all innocence, as they showed me the bills. Did a single agricultural pumpset get electricity bill during my father's tenure? Where there is a will, there is certainly a way. In Chandrababu Naidu’s case, deception takes the highest priority and we can see the results for ourselves.

I have a question for the chief minister—your manifesto says that you would provide nine hours of uninterrupted power supply. Is it fair to go back on your commitment on some pretext or the other? On the one hand, you have been publicizing about free electricity to agriculture and concessions in the supply of power to industries and the aqua sector. On the other hand, you have been levying surplus charges of various kinds using some excuse or the other. Is this backdoor method of taxing people fair?