Rs. 7 lakh cr investments: YSRCP dares govt to release white paper

Vijayawada: YSRCP challenged the coalition government to release a white paper on the claimed Rs 7 lakh crore investments in Andhra Pradesh. Party spokesperson Putta Sivashankar Reddy, in a statement on Thursday, demanded details on industries, locations, jobs, investment amounts, and production capacities, questioning if the government could display this at village and ward secretariats, as YSRCP did for scheme beneficiaries.

Sivashankar criticised minister Nara Lokesh for claiming credit for the Ashok Leyland unit, operational before 2018 near Vijayawada under N Chandrababu Naidu’s tenure. He dismissed Lokesh’s portrayal of it as a 2024 achievement with 600 jobs as ‘laughable,’ urging him to fulfil the free bus travel promise instead. On the Rs 7 lakh crore claim, Sivashankar highlighted the jump from Rs 6.5 lakh crore cited in the Governor’s February 25 address, challenging the government to substantiate the additional Rs.50,000 crore in 22 days with specifics.

He accused the coalition of driving industries like JSW to Maharashtra due to harassment, calling the Davos tour a “paid holiday.”

In contrast, he claimed Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy achieved many successes during his rule including industrial corridors in Kopparthi and Orvakal, and production at Century Plywood and YSR EMC Park, despite Covid setbacks. Sivashankar Reddy questioned the coalition’s transparency and progress compared to YSRCP’s record.