Arrests of TDP leaders will be continued: Sucharitha

Amaravati: The YSRCP government has been strategically arresting the TDP leaders in the alleged corruption scams. The arrests will continue in a phased manner. On the occasion of completing one year in the government by the YSRCP, Mekathoti Sucharitha, Home Minister revealed many facts, strategies of the government apart from the achievements of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, in an interview with The Hans India.

She stressed that the government will take action on all the TDP leaders who indulged in corruption during the tenure of N Chandrababu Naidu, as Chief Minister between 2014 to 2019.

In fact, when the YSRCP was in opposition, it alleged that then ruling party leaders committed corruption to a tune of at least Rs 6 lakh crore and it would be established once the party president Jagan would come into the power. Now, as the YSRCP completed one year in governance, it initiated arrests of various TDP leaders including Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, JC Prabhakar Reddy and his son apart from others.

As predicted, all the corrupt leaders of the opposition party will not be booked in a single stroke. But, these arrests have been planned in a phased manner and all the culprits would go to jail sooner or later, according to the Home Minister. At the same time, she maintained that the government, particularly the police department engaged in excavating the corruption of the previous government and cases have been booked based on the perfect evidence. She said that for instance, former Atchannaidu gained at least Rs 155 cr corrupt money in the ESI scam in five years. He illegally amassed wealth in the purchase of furniture, medicine, testing kits, telemedicine, biometric machines and others. For instance, he purchased Rs 36 cr worth medicine by spending Rs 80 Cr from the non-rate company. A non-rate company is a company which did not participate in the competitive bid.

She said that the government was not arresting anybody for the sake of political gains, but with a commitment to ensure punishment to the culprits. The TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu was telling lies to the people on the arrests of their party leaders, she criticised. Government has evidence on Amaravati land scam, the ESI scam, Chandranna Thofa and others. All these cases to be disposed of in a phased manner, she said. There was no case filed against any TDP leader, without proper evidence, she claimed.

Brushing out the criticism from the TDP that the Government was harassing the opposition party leaders, she said that the YSRCP government did not resort to such activities.

Reacting to the welfare schemes under Navaratnalu, the Chief Minister implemented about 90 per cent promises of election Manifesto, she said. The promises like Ammavodi, Pensions hike, Rythu Bharosa, YSRCP Vahana Mitra, Nethanna Nestham, Matsyakara Bharosa, zero-interest loans to women, eradication of liquor consumption initiated and other schemes are in progress in the first year itself. On the other hand, there were revolutionary changes in governance.

The weekly off has been given to the police personnel for the first time in the country. Stating that, Disha Act was a great achievement of the State and its fortunate to bring the legislature, she thanked Jagan for giving this opportunity to her.