Clearance sale or Seasons sale?

Mangalagiri : Jana Sena Party political affairs committee chairman Nadendla Manohar came down heavily on the quid pro quo deals of the YSRCP government with some ‘selected’ companies for the benefit of ruling party leaders though the government has been boasting that it had introduced new industrial policy to provide employment opportunities to youth.

Addressing the media at the party headquarters here on Wednesday, Manohar wondered what happened to the MoUs worth Rs 13 lakh crore signed at the Global Investors Summit.

He linked the deals with clearance sale before closing shop by the YSRCP dispensation to hand over valuable land to some companies throwing away the regulations to the wind.

“It is regrettable that several lakhs of crores of investments went to the neighbouring states during the last four-and-a-half years since there was no consistent policy to attract investments in the state,” he rued.

Manohar recalled that the then Dr YSR government took a decision allotting 2,680 acres for the Krishnapatnam Ultra Mega power project.

However, due to various reasons, the company could not construct the project. The state government served notices to take back the land. However, the company in 2016 demanded the return of the bank guarantee of Rs 300 crore since it could not go ahead with the project.

Now the Jagan administration instead of taking back the land, handed over it to Reliance which was one of the partners in the company. In spite of the objections by the chief secretary-headed State Investment Promotion Board, the Cabinet headed by the chief minister handed over the land to Reliance.

Same is the case with the proposed apparel park at Hindupuram. The Jagan government served notice to take back the 350 acres allotted for the purpose.

In spite of the objections by the State Investment Promotion Board, the Cabinet approved the allotment of the same land to the same company for starting some other project.

Manohar demanded that the government owed an explanation to people why the decision was taken. Jana Sena leaders Bonaboyina Srinivas, Gade Venkateswara Rao, Potina Mahesh, Chillapalli Srinivas, Akkala Ramamohan Rao, Mallinidi Babi, Dr Gautam, Ammisetti Vasu, Mandali Rajesh, Nerella Suresh and others participated.