The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has announced Rs. 2 lakh financial assistance for the Dalit minor girl who fell victim to kidnap and gang-rape in Rajahmundry.

TDP National President and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has promised to adopt the 16-year-old girl and give her good education on behalf of the party. The TDP fact-finding committee consisting of former Ministers and MLAs has returned after a visit to the town and submitted its report to the party chief. The committee called on the girl’s family and conveyed their solidarity.

Mr. Naidu was moved when the leaders narrated to him about the deteriorated condition of the innocent girl. He immediately announced the Rs. 2 lakh cash assistance. As the girl has studied up to 10th class, the TDP chief announced that their party would take care of her future education. There was a strong need to create confidence in the girl.

Mr. Naidu asked the party leaders to strongly agitate against such atrocities and assure the victims that the TDP would stand like a rock of support to them in their hour of need. The society has a responsibility to mould the hapless girl into a dutiful citizen who would carry on her fight against such injustices.

TDP MLC and APNGOs former president P. Ashok Babu has accused the YCP Government of causing needless delay in distribution of nearly 6 lakh houses to the poor beneficiaries for the last 15 months. All these houses were almost completed during the previous TDP regime while the lists of beneficiaries were also prepared. The Jagan Reddy government has deliberately stalled final distribution in order to deny these benefits to the intended poor families.

Mr. Ashok Babu demanded that the Government should immediately pay the Rs. 1,100 Cr dues to both the beneficiaries and contractors. Each beneficiary has already paid Rs. 25,000 while the remaining amounts would be adjusted with bank loans and Central subsidy. In the entire country, the Centre sanctioned the highest number of 15 lakh houses to AP during TDP regime. Over 8.5 lakh houses were completed and already distributed while another 6 lakh were due for distribution.

The TDP MLC slammed the ruling party for ‘changing’ the already finalised lists of beneficiaries in order to remove some names on the pretext of their loyalties to the TDP. This would not be correct. If there were any irregularities in the lists, the Government may order enquiries and delete undeserving beneficiaries. It would be wrong to deny the allotment of houses to the already finalised deserving beneficiaries.

Mr. Ashok Babu refuted the YCP allegations, saying that the TDP rule gave priority to construction of good quality houses that would last at least 30 to 50 years. In some places, the Government used these unallotted houses as Coronavirus quarantine centres. The YCP has no moral right to criticise since it was the TDP which was the first political party that has constructed houses for poor families. This has laid foundation for the national level housing programme.

TDP Official Spokesperson K. Pattabhi Ram has slammed the YCP Government for ‘perpetrating’ yet another fraud on the people of Andhra Pradesh in the name of 104 and 108 ambulance services meant for poorer sections of society in the state. CM Jaganmohan Reddy flagged off the Rs. 307 Cr ambulance services amid a huge publicity show today which incidentally marked the birthday celebrations of the CM’s co-accused and MP Vijayasai Reddy.

The TDP leader asked whether the Chief Minister has given Rs. 307 Cr costly gift to his co-accused in massive corruption. The ambulances project contract was given to Vijayasai Reddy’s in-law Ramprasad Reddy’s Aurobindo Foundation with a premeditated plan to plunder huge public money under the garb of extending medical services to the poor people. For this, the Government stooped down to the extent of changing the clauses in Judicial Review.

Mr. Pattabhi lashed out at CM Jagan Reddy’s ‘open misuse of people’s money’ in giving wide publicity for the inauguration of ambulances in all media. At the same time, the CM and Home Minister were not able to give one single clarification on allegations of corruption. While the BVG organisation gave ambulance services at Rs. 1.31 lakh per month per vehicle during TDP regime, the YCP Government has agreed to pay Rs. 2.21 lakh per vehicle to Aurobindo Foundation now. The Government should explain whether terminated the previous contract of proven BVG group in violation of agreement only to give this Rs. 307 Cr gift to Vijayasai’s kin.

The TDP leader said Aurobindu Foundation has no prior experience in providing ambulances while BVG has got a glowing track record with its presence already there in Delhi and Maharashtra. It became clear that CM Jagan Reddy has deliberately set aside BVG only to favour his MP Vijayasai Reddy’s relatives.

Mr. Pattabhi refuted YCP allegations, saying that it was during Chandrababu Naidu regime that 104 mobile hospitals were launched which were equipped with a 5-member crew who include a doctor, lab technician, pharmacist, nurse and driver. Now, Jagan Government is giving just three staff who are doctor, data entry operator and driver. How can they provide emergency services without a lab technician and a nurse? This shows the lack of commitment on the part of YCP Government.

The TDP leader flayed the Government for agreeing to pay Rs. 1.8 lakh per ambulance to Aurobindo Foundation only for providing doctor, data entry operator and driver besides other equipment in the ambulances. This equipment includes basic things like stethoscope, BP machine, flowmeter and so on. Then, there was no clarification what services that Aurobindo Foundation would give from its side to the poor people.

Telugu Desam Party General Secretary Varla Ramaiah on Sunday demanded the Jaganmohan Reddy Government to disclose the name of YCP MP who has taken on lease the ill-fated SPY Agro Industries Company in which gas leak took place at Nandyal in Kurnool district. The Government should announce Rs. 1 Cr ex gratia to the family of the victim who perished in the gas leak. It may be recalled CM Jaganmohan Reddy announced a similar package to victims of LG Polymers leak tragedy in Visakhapatnam.

The TDP leader said suitable compensation should be given to family of the industry general manager Srinivasa Rao who died in the ammonium nitrate gas leak. Very unfortunately, the officials were bargaining with the family members in order to deny complete ex gratia. Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, who is advisor to excise policy, should clarify why no ex gratia was announced even a day after the death of the general manager.

Mr. Ramaiah said that a liquid carbon dioxide unit was being run as an auxiliary wing for SPY Agro and that unit was taken on lease by a high-profile ruling party MP. There, Heaven’s Door whisky was being made. All this raised doubts whether the MP concerned entered the portals of the Parliament to fight for the people’s issues or for making easy money out of liquor making. The YCP leaders should clarify whether they were coming into politics only to exploit natural resources indiscriminately and amass illegal wealth.

Mr. Ramaiah deplored that harmful arrack was coated with colours and then being sold as liquor in the government wine shops. The negligence of the ruling YCP and its total indifference to consumers’ health was evident from this. The Government should publish a white paper on the quality of liquor being made in all the 21 distilleries in the state. It should also explain whether these distilleries were being run for the sake of the top leadership of YCP or in the name of the Government.

Stating that there was no transparency in the liquor policy, Mr. Ramaiah asked whether pollution and fire safety checks were being conducted for the distilleries. A strange brand named Heaven’s whiskey has been creating new sales records in the state. It is pitiable that the Government itself was playing games with the lives of the people. It is doubtful whether the Government can give guarantee that there would be no life threat from the consumption of liquor sold at its liquor outlets.

TDP leader Gottipati Ramakrishna has slammed the Jaganmohan Reddy government for totally ignoring the manifold sufferings of people of Andhra Pradesh after the YCP came to power by making countless promises during elections. He asked why CM Jagan Reddy was not reminding himself of his pre-poll slogan ‘Nenunnanu, Nenu Vinnanu’ (I am, I heard) to extend a helping hand in these days of Coronavirus and fuel price hike troubles to the common public in the state.

Mr. Ramakrishna said that in the past 20 days, the petrol and diesel prices have gone up by Rs. 10 per litre in Andhra Pradesh. It is posing serious problems to all sections of people from employees, school children, auto drivers, taxis to daily wage workers who travel to work places on mopeds and shared autos. Neither the CM nor his Ministers tried to pay attention to this issue till now. As a responsible Opposition party, the TDP is demanding immediate roll back of this fuel price hike to provide relief to the people.

The TDP leader said that the AP Government can afford to waive the hiked prices as it was getting a share of Rs. 30 per litre of petrol sold and also Rs. 25 per litre of diesel. In addition to a share of 40 per cent from the Centre, AP was collecting Rs. 2.76 per litre on petrol and Rs. 3.07 on diesel. It is time the YCP regime should respond sympathetically to provide relief to the people, especially farmers who depend heavily on use of diesel for agricultural activities.

Mr. Ramakrishna said the TDP reduced petrol and diesel prices by Rs. 2 when the prices rose above Rs. 75 per litre during its previous regime. Similar gesture should be extended by the Jagan Reddy government considering the unusual problems being faced by the people in view of virus attack and consequential restrictions.

Mr. Ramakrishna said while the Kerala Government took effective measures to stop Coronavirus spread in that state, the AP Government was busy with its own political activities causing a spurt in the infections. The Ministers and the officials were relaxing after releasing just a small health bulletin everyday. Kerala reported first COVID cases in the country and, now, that state has successfully prevented the virus spread by working closely with all sections of the people there. Whereas, there was no proper review of the virus fighting measures at the state level in AP in recent days.

Expressing concern over rising Coronavirus cases, Telugu Desam Party MLC A.S. Ramakrishna has demanded the YCP Government to withdraw its decision to make biometric attendance for teachers of government schools in order to avoid any health risk to them. The school education commission issued circular 145 dated June 23, 2020, for compulsory attendance of teachers which was in violation of the Central Government guidelines. Moreover, even the Supreme Court has ordered for doing away with biometric attendance in offices considering its potential as a touch point to spread infections.

Mr. Ramakrishna told the Government that there were several instances where teachers faced serious problems due to virus infections. At Chennayapalem in Kavali rural mandal, one woman teacher attended school on June 23 and, when she returned home in the evening, her son and husband were found to have tested virus +ve. Consequently, the whole villagers have boycotted all teachers and told them not to come to school.

Mr. Ramakrishna appealed to YCP regime not to take hasty decisions and it may call for services of a few teachers to attend schools in order to upload date for the Unified District Information System for Education. This data also should have been completed six months ago in order to get the Niti Ayog funds from the Centre. Even if the biometrics devices were sanitised regularly, it is not a correct time for the department to bring pressure on the teachers to come to schools at this dangerous time of infections. Any such step would endanger the lives of over 1.8 lakh teachers working in primary, upper primary and high schools at mandal and zilla parishad levels.

The TDP MLC pointed out that in South Korea, they have reopened and then once again closed down the schools in view of unchecked virus cases. In India, schools are not reopened in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Chattisgarh, Orissa and other states. AP Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy himself has said school would be reopened only after August 3. The Union HRD Ministry has also said it would take a review on reopening schools only after August 17.

TDP Official Spokesman K. Pattabhi Ram has accused the Jaganmohan Reddy Government of defaming and driving away well-known companies out of Andhra Pradesh only to benefit the organisations belonging to the kith and kin of the ruling YCP leaders. He condemned the manner in which the Government harassed BVG with fabricated charges of poor ambulance services with the ulterior motive of giving this contract to the organisation of Vijayasai Reddy’s relatives.

The TDP leader reminded YCP rule of how the World Health Organisation and Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare lauded and recommended BVG best health services in over 23 foreign countries. The BVG provided its services even in Jammu and Kashmir and also the most inhospitable Ladakh territories. Just because there would be no commissions, YCP Government drove away the best company from the state.

Mr. Pattabhi said while the Chandrababu regime promoted all the best practices and best companies during its time, the Jagan Reddy Government was bent on discouraging them for obvious reasons. The Jagan Reddy rule became so infamous and bankrupt that nobody came forward to give Rs. 80 Cr loan for procurement of 439 ambulances. This was accepted by the Government itself in its note on why it has shifted from finance model to outright purchase model. Very pathetically, the Government said it could find no bidders for the finance model. No Government anywhere in the world has lost its credibility so fast and so badly as the YCP regime in just one year of its rule.

Refuting YCP allegations, Mr. Pattabhi asserted that it was in the TDP regime that two-wheeler ambulance services were introduced for the first time in the entire country to help tribal people in remote forest areas. The TDP bought new 275 ambulances in 2016 to strengthen health services in the state. In 2018, the TDP regime condemned 365 old ambulances but now the YCP Government is making false claims that fifty per cent of existing 439 ambulances were in bad condition.