Andhra Pradesh BJP sings different tune, opposes VSP privatisation

Ongole: The AP unit of BJP is opposing the attempts of the Union government to privatise Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. Announcing this here on Sunday, its president Somu Veerraju said that they are against tenders called as part of the privatisation. He also added that the local BJP leaders are asking the Centre to bring the prices of petrol, diesel and gas under the GST.

He participated in the district executive committee meeting at Ongole. Addressing the press meet on the occasion, he assured that the privatization of the Vizag Steel Plant will not be done as APBJP unit is opposing the idea of privatisation.

The BJP wants the petrol, diesel and gas under GST as they are not looking at fuel as an income source. He said that the Union government is considering blending ethanol with petrol to reduce its price by 30 per cent. He announced that the government is also working on alternative sources of energy to reduce the fuel imports and see the vehicles run on solar power soon.

Somu Veerraju said that the Union government is interested in setting up a defence cluster and National Investment and Manufacturing Zone in the district, but the State government is not showing any interest.

He demanded the State government to release a white paper on the NIMZ, which is pending for establishment since 2014. He demanded the government to allocate about 10 TMC water for utilisation by the backward, rain shadow area of Prakasam district. He said that due to the negligence in releasing funds for the small irrigation projects in the district, the evacuees are waiting for the relocation and rehabilitation package for decades.

He mentioned that the Union government has sanctioned for construction of four berths for fishermen in the State, and the NABARD is ready to give loans to them. He said that the State government with a meagre Rs 26 crore budget allocation towards the Fisheries department, is not keen to provide the 40 per cent share of the Rs 400 crore for the construction of each of the berths. The district BJP unit will agitate on the issues until the government takes a favourable decision on each of them. He said that the State BJP is demanding to construct another 7 or 8 ports in the State and demanded the State government to take action in this regard.

Responding on the Krishna water dispute between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Veerraju alleged that Chief Ministers K Chandrasekhar Rao and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy are betraying the public of Andhra Pradesh. He questioned the Chief Minister why he does not speak to his counterpart in Telangana and settle the issue. He said that writing letters to the Prime Minister won't help, and advised to write to the constitutional bodies appointed for the resolution of the issues. As the water issues are turning to be sensitive issues, the Union government is planning to provide a permanent solution by river linking, road linking, pots linking etc, he added.

He said that apart from Polavaram, there are still 60 pending projects in the State like Thotapalli, Galaru Nagari, Vamsadhara etc., and the district units will fight for their completion.

He said that the BJP will work with a special agenda by playing a pivotal role and prod the government for the development of the state.

Veerraju said that the Union government flooding the State with funds and is spending thousands of crores for the development of roads, railways, parks, burial grounds and other infrastructure in the state through various schemes like PMGSY, MGNREGS, AMRUT and others. He demanded to know how the funds were spent on the infrastructure by the State government and why it is taking loans by mortgaging the public properties.

The BJP district president Sirasanagandla Srinivasulu, Dara Sambaiah, Ramesh Naidu, DhanisettyRamu, I Seetharamaiah, BodduluriAnjaneyulu, Mathampalli Durgesh and other leaders also participated in the press meet.