Protests against the proposed privatisation of Bhavani Island by the State Government are growing louder with leaders of the Opposition parties raising a banner of revolt against the State move.
On Sunday, Telugu Desam Party leaders in the district vowed to wage a relentless war against what they called ‘evil designs' of the State.
The TDP district unit president and Mylavaram MLA Devineni Umamaheswara Rao led a team of the local mediapersons to the island to explain the extent of the harm the ‘wicked' plans of the Congress Government would cause to the common man in the event of privatisation of the resort.
Taking the team around the sprawling 133-acre island, he said that it is a picturesque spot, ideal for family recreation. Pointing to the plaque erected by the former chief minister N.T. Rama Rao on November 29 of 1986, he said that the objective of handing over the Irrigation Department land to Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) was to groom the place into a tourist spot and provide access to the local residents to recreational activities.
Referring to the christening of the island, he said that it was named after Goddess Bhavani, the presiding deity of this city but the Congress party was out to lease it to a few private persons.
Tenders
Informing that the tenders for the project were allocated to Pratyusha Shipping Company, the TDP leader reminded that the company belonged to a close aide of Chiranjeevi.
“This ‘deal' is apparently a gift from Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy to Chiranjeevi in lieu of the merger of his party in the Congress,” he alleged.
Wondering why should a property with an annual turnover of Rs.1.2 crore and profits close to Rs.50 crore per annum be handed over to private parties, the TDP leader said that the total lease period of the project was 58 years – 33-year-lease with an option to extend it for 25 more years.
The MLC Rajendra Prasad dubbed the issue a ‘Rs.581 crore scam' and said that the TDP would not remain silent to such lawlessness unleashed by the Congress party.
