CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy selling VSP lands to benefit his benamis, alleges Yanamala

Amaravati: Former Minister and senior TDP leader Yanamala Ramakrishnudu on Friday expressed concern that Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy was bent upon benefitting his benamis by putting up thousands of acres lands of the Visakha Steel Plant for sale.

Ramakrishnudu asserted that it was the Chief Minister and his party MP Vijay Sai Reddy who were the co-conspirators behind the VSP privatisation plan. The Aurobindo and the Hetero companies were also party to this secret deal. Already, the Jagan regime has handed over the Kakinada SEZ and Bay Park to the CM's benamis.

In a statement here, the Opposition Leader in Council said that since the YCP came to power, there was no end to threats, settlements and land grabs being carried out by the ruling party gangsters. Now, they have set their eyes on the costly lands of the steel plant. Taking over the VSP lands under benami names was the secret deal behind Jagan Reddy's approval to the privatisation plan.

Ramakrishna said that the hidden agenda behind the Chief Minister's letter was to put up the steel plant lands for sale. The whole drama was to sell the lands through the Central government and thereby avoid any bad name for the YSRCP. The CM's ultimate plan was to get possession of these lands through his benamis.

The steel plant lands have high values in market at Rs. 3 Cr and above per acre.

The TDP leader said that the farmers and Vizag residents gave thousands of acres for the steel plant in the hope of getting a golden future for their children. The sale of these lands now would not be legally valid also.

Any benefit from these lands should go to the local residents but not the CM's benamis. The port city residents' main demand has been that the Chief Minister should talk with the Centre to stop the privatisation.

Echoing the same views, TDP national spokesperson Kommareddy Pattabhi on Friday strongly objected to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's latest remarks that were made in favour of selling 7,000 acres surplus lands of the Visakha Steel Plant in the port city.

Pattabhi asked whether the sale of public property would solve the losses and problems of the steel plant forever. Doubts were being expressed whether Jagan Reddy was behaving like a Chief Minister or a real estate businessman, he said.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Mangalagiri, the TDP leader said that their party would not be afraid of the goondaism and threats of the ruling YSRCP leaders.

The general public have also realised how a cheap drama of 'Jagannatakam' has been started for the privatisation of the steel plant. It was obvious that the Chief Minister has been making all out plans for the past one year to somehow grab the costly lands.

Pattabhi deplored that the YSRCP leaders were trying hard to deceive and betray the employees, workers' unions and the general public in the port city.

The TDP leader said that it would not be enough for the Chief Minister to send just a letter to the Prime Minister.

Everybody should rise above narrow political considerations to agitate and save the steel plant. Jagan Reddy did not even bother to go to the gate of the steel plant during his latest visit to Vizag. The CM owed an explanation to the public why he and his party were not making the required efforts to stop the privatisation.