J’ tax totally collapsed industrial sector in AP, says Dhulipala Narendra

Former MLA and senior TDP leader, Dhulipala Narendra Kumar, on Saturday said that the industrial sector in Andhra Pradesh has totally collapsed with the imposition of ‘J’ tax, faulty policies of the government and harassment of the industrialists by the ruling YSRCP leaders.

Talking to media persons at the party headquarters, Narendra said that the ruling party of the neighbouring State of Telangana is really feeling happy with the policies adopted by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, that except the units owned by the ruling YSRCP leaders no other industry should survive in Andhra Pradesh. The industrialists are openly admitting that they are leaving the State since they could not pay the unnecessary taxes being imposed on them.

“However, the companies owned by Jagan and his associates in the State are flourishing,” he said, adding that the Government of Telangana, which is getting elated as investments are moving there, is saluting Jagan. When the TDP was in power, AP competed with Gujarat in attracting investments but now the State has touched the 14th position, Narendra pointed out.

Narendra said that the statistics clearly indicate that when the TDP was in power, between 2014 and 2019, a total of 237 major and medium industrialists had invested Rs 62,523 cr creating employment to 93,200 persons, while 37,956 small industrialists invested Rs 16,000 cr creating employment to 4,000 persons. How long Jagan takes the people for a ride by claiming that the industrialisation is progressing well now as the Government statistics are clearly mentioning that the industrialisation is moving at a snail’s pace, he said.

Pointing out that big industries like the Navayuga Company are moving out of Andhra Pradesh as they are unable to bear the harassment by the Government, Narendra stated. No need to mention as to why the Amara Raja Batteries, owned by TDP MP, Galla Jayadev, moved to Telangana, he added.

The Lulu Group which was ready to invest Rs 7,000 cr in the port city of Visakhapatnam during the TDP regime, moved to Uttar Pradesh after Jagan came to power, Narendra said. The Jackie company too bid goodbye to AP as the management was unable to bear the harassment by the local public representatives, he added.