Idupulapaya (YSR Kadapa dist): The 3,000-km Praja Sankalpam Yatra began here on Monday with a strong resolve to highlight the failures and corrupt practises of Chandrababu Naidu government as the President of YSR Congress YS Jagan Mohan Reddy reaffirming that all sections of people were dismayed with the ruling party and its near four-year term has been laden with rampant corruption, nepotism, mockery of democracy and manipulative politics giving scant time to even discuss the pressing issues concerning the people.
Taking the first steps of the long march from YSR Ghat after paying rich tributes to the Man of the Masses, the Leader of Opposition has greeted people en route to the dais where he addressed a mammoth gathering who cheered him with slogans ‘Jagan ravali, Jagan kavali’ (Jagan should come, we want Jagan).
"Ever since Chandrababu Naidu has come to power, he has been cheating people of all sections and when his failures are being highlighted, even his Party’s 2014 manifesto has been withdrawn from the public domain which shows the extent of fear of the ruling dispensation.
From farmers to women groups, to students to youth to weavers to employees no one is happy as they feel cheated on various counts and this Praja Sankalpa Yatra is aimed at interacting with people of all sections and know first-hand the aspirations of the people and include it in the manifesto and improvising the Nava Ratnas already promised.
Our manifesto would be simple and would be a reflection of the people’s aspirations and we will implement every promise in the true letter and spirit unlike TDP which had gone back on every promise and had been trying to invent ways and means to cover it up.
It is not just the election promises but even the Centre’s assurances like Special Category Status (SCS) were compromised after Chandrababu Naidu name figured in the cash for vote scam in the neighbouring Telangana state.
Rampant corruption has emboldened him to buy MLAs and even allot cabinet berths to four of them and I challenge Chandrababu Naidu to hold simultaneous polls to all the 20 constituencies after disqualifying the defectors.
It’s not like winning one-off election by pumping in huge amounts from the ill-gotten wealth but it is the will of the people that will prevail if elections are held in one go in all the 20 seats which would guage the public mood and show which way the wind is blowing,’ he said in an obvious reference to Nandyal by-poll.
Chandrababu Naidu is scared with the solidarity and public support I have been getting in every step of mine and this 3,000 km Praja Sankalpa Yatra is aimed at highlighting the failures of Chandrababu Naidu and to bring awareness among the people as to how they are being cheated," he said.
In course of the Padayatra, there would be interactive sessions to know the problems of the people and what they are expecting from the government and their viewpoint would be taken into consideration as was done by YSR during his famous padayatra that has changed the course of the polity of the state.
As of now, from village level to capital region the governance is filled with corruption with Janma Bhoomi Committees calling the shots setting aside the elected representatives and in the capital region, the scale of corruption reaching new peaks even without a single permanent structure coming up.
Agriculture has been ignored by TDP and the extent of cultivation has been coming down drastically year after year for want of funds, water and market price. Not a single crop has been getting MSP and the banks are unable to meet their targets in loans and advances as many of the farmers became defaulters with the false promise of waiver of all agriculture loans.
There is no input subsidy nor crop loans and the same is the case with women groups, students, employees, contract workers and unemployees.
He assured that all contract workers would be regularised after coming to power and all benefits would be provided to employees which are being neglected now.
Chandrababu Naidu has only succeeded in jacking up the loans to an alarming proportion and the amount taken was used for non-productive means and for extravaganza, he said.
"While Hyderabad is dotted with industries, Chandrababu Naidu is unable to ask the same for our state as he has compromised with the Centre after his audio and video tapes were found in the cash for vote scam. Special Category Status (SCS) is being buried for his selfish agenda, but we will bring it back to bring in investments to the state.
Partnership Summits are organised in Vizag periodically and hyperbolic figures are announced as incoming investments but not a single rupee comes in and not a new unit is set up. He has promised of a steel plant to this area but nothing has come up," he said.
The law and order situation has worsened with no protection to women and girl students and the capital fraud has been well exposed when his coterie has purchased land around the capital without losing a piece of land as they advance information while the gullible farmer was put to hardship and his land was forcefully taken away.
"I am walking in the footsteps of YSR and with your belief in me that I would fulfil all the promises unlike TDP that has went back on all promises and has institutionalised corruption," he said.
The Praja Sankalpam Yatra will tread the district and then move to Kurnool, Ananthapur, Chittoor and Nellore districts.
