Visakhapatnam: NDA government will make AP corruption-free says Rajnath Singh

Visakhapatnam : Even as the Centre is keen on completing the Polavaram project, the state government seems to be 'not so serious' about it, pointed out Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

At the intellectuals meet held in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, the Defence Minister came down heavily on the YSRCP government and said Visakhapatnam, known to be a cultural and commercial hub, has now become an international distribution centre for drugs. “It is unfortunate that Visakhapatnam has become a ‘drug capital’,” he expressed his concern. Talking about the financial status of Andhra Pradesh, Rajnath Singh said state’s coffers always remain empty. “To fill the coffers, the YSRCP government is increasing the tax burden on the people, not sparing even the garbage for it, which is an unheard concept,” he stated.

Despite a host of infrastructure projects initiated by the Centre, the state has become debt-ridden, and the debt burden has risen to the tune of Rs 13.5 lakh crore, resulting in a burden of Rs 2 lakh on each individual in Andhra Pradesh. “Where are the funds getting diverted? Apart from land grabbing, the state is mired in land mafia and sand mafia. The NDA government alone could put an end to such activities as it is considering efforts to make Andhra Pradesh YSRCP-free as well as corruption-free,” the Defence Minister mentioned.

“In the next five years, the NDA government will focus on ‘one nation, one election’. Human resources would be saved, expenditure would be brought down to a substantial quantum if the country adopts ‘one nation, one election,” opined the Defence Minister.

Stressing BJP’s ideal of ‘justice to all and appeasement to none’, Rajnath Singh alleged that the Congress is indulging in divisive politics, and that it is an expert in creating a rift among religions with its ‘divide and rule’ policy. “But the NDA never did politics based on caste, creed and religion.