YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's visit to flood-hit areas is like an event-management: TDP MLA
Andhra Pradesh Irrigation Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu
Amaravathi: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's visit to flood-hit areas was like an event-management as the zones to be visited and people to be interacted with have been selected much in advance, alleged MLA and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) senior leader Nimmala Ramanaidu.
Speaking with the media at the party office here on Wednesday, Ramanaidu criticised that the State government was negligent in coming to the rescue of flood victims. The Ministers, who visited the areas, were given training and their tours were completely monitored by the local volunteers, he said.
The TDP leader pointed out that the CM's tour was behind barricades and he did not even interact with the affected. 'The Chief Minister's statement that his visit to the areas is timely and had he come a bit early it would have affected the rescue and relief operations is meaningless,' he observed.
When Hud Hud cyclone hit Visakhapatnam, the then CM Chandrababu Naidu visited the port city against heavy odds. 'Naidu camped at District Collector office for five days to personally monitor the situation, while Jagan visited food-hit areas a week after floods totally subsided,' he criticised.
When a cyclone hit Godavari districts in 1996, Chandrababu Naidu brought the situation under control within a week, he recalled. But now the CM visit was only ceremonial and Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 as relief to selected persons only, he alleged.
Ramanaidu said that though alert about the floods was made, no precautionary measures were taken to reduce damage. Even essentials items were not supplied on time and children suffered from hunger due to lack of milk, he added. Several villages remained submerged for over 10 days, he added. When the neighbouring Telangana State had paid Rs 10,000 each to the affected families, but the Jagan government is paying a mere Rs 2,000 each, the TDP leader pointed out. What is the use of YSRCP having several MPs, who could not convince the Centre to extend flood relief, he noted.