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Amaravati: Cess on fuel for development of infra only, asserts Minister Perni Nani
Transport and information and public relations minister Perni Venkatramaiah (Nani)
- Says State’s economy is in doldrum owing to lockdown
- Points out that the previous TDP govt collected Rs 2
- Blames some sections of media for not highlighting Rs 10 per litre increase in fuel prices effected by the Central govt
- Alleges that some people who worked for TDP are now in judiciary
Amaravati: Transport and information and public relations minister Perni Venkatramaiah (Nani) insisted that Rs 1 cess on fuel was for development of infrastructure in the state only. He termed the criticism over the levy of Road Development Cess of Rs 1 per litre of petrol and diesel as "distortion of facts".
Speaking to media at YSRCP central office at Tadepalli on Saturday, the minister said that the state has been in revenue deficit as the economic activity had come to a halt ever since lockdown was imposed due to Covid-19 and it has become difficult for the government to allocate funds for infrastructure development. The money collected from Road Development Cess will be used only for the development of roads, he asserted.
Nani recalled that former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had collected Rs 2 per litre as Amaravati cess for capital development.
]The prices of fuel have been increased by Rs 10 per litre since last December by the Central government and such stories remain unnoticed in a section of media. He said Naidu didn't spend money on maintenance of roads during the previous five-year TDP tenure and Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has given the nod to repair damaged roads. He asserted that proceeds of the Road Development Cess would not be used for other purposes except for the develop infrastructure in the state.
Chandrababu Naidu has corrupted all the systems in the Government, the minister said and asked the Central Government and the Supreme Court to address the concerns on functioning of Judiciary raised by YSRCP MP Mithun Reddy in Lok Sabha. The Minister suspected Naidu conspiracy over the series of incidents taking place in temples and said Government will probe all the incidents and truth will be revealed.
Criticising the judiciary for passing gag order on the media and stalling an investigation into alleged land scam in Amaravati by High Court, the transport minister alleged that some people who worked for the TDP were now in the judiciary to work for the benefit of Chandrababu Naidu.
"People who worked actively in a political party for decades as foot soldiers are in the judiciary today, working for the benefit of Chandrababu," he claimed. He raised suspicions that these people have worked with the TDP for decades.
Nani called on the Central government and the Supreme Court to focus on these issues.
