BJP state chief launches Padayatra for Amaravati

Vundavalli (Guntur dist): BJP state president Somu Veerraju launched Padayatra here on Friday with the slogan 'Manam…Mana Amaravati BJP Sankalpa Yatra' which would continue for one week in all the 29 villages of Amaravati before culminating in a public meeting at Tullur on August 4.

Addressing the gathering before embarking on the padayatra, Veerraju said that the TDP government which acquired land from the farmers in the name of land pooling scheme (LPS) did not complete any construction though the Centre had allocated Rs 2,500 crore. The then state government did not utilise those funds for the Amaravati smart city, he recalled.

During the yatra, the BJP state chief faced embarrassing moments when some farmers questioned BJP's lack of commitment to Amaravati even as YSRCP government went for three capitals leaving Amaravati in the lurch. The farmers alleged that both Jagan and BJP are hand in glove in this issue. Trying to convince the agitating farmers, he said the BJP has no connection with Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Referring to the Jagan Mohan Reddy rule, he said that the Chief Minister had gone back on his promise of building the capital city citing that he had built a house in the same region. He virtually destroyed the state in the name of three capital cities.

He blamed both the then and the present state governments for non-development of Amaravati.

He demanded that the Jagan government start the construction of the capital city immediately. The 10,000 acres of land should be kept intact for future use of the capital city. The BJP leader claimed that the Centre had been implementing its promises since the beginning. He recalled the necessary funds for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Mangalagiri, flyovers and bypass roads have been released without any break. He asserted that the highway from Anantapur to Amaravati and the internal roads for Amaravati would be constructed by the BJP.

He said that the then government should have handed over the developed plots to farmers. The TDP would have retained power had it not fallen in the trap of YSRCP and separated from BJP. He asserted that the Centre was ready to solve the problems of capital city villages. Referring to the comments of YSRCP MP V Viajaysai Reddy, Veerraju said that how could he claim that the financial condition of the state was better than the Centre. In such scenario, how the state government could not supply rice to the people and why it could not build the roads. Why the contractors are moving the judiciary for their bills and why the Government did not build the capital city.

The Modi government had constructed the new parliament building at a cost of Rs 800 crore, he pointed out. If the Chief Minister is honest enough he should submit the accounts of Polavaram expenditure to the Centre.