Former MP Vundavalli Arun Kumar on Tuesday alleged that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was trying to control cable network in the State through AP State Fibernet Limited (APSFL).
Addressing a media conference here, Mr. Arun Kumar recalled that the Chief Minister announced in Visakhapatnam on March 17, 2016, that the government was going to provide Internet, telephone and TV connection for just ₹149 per month through the APSFL. However, in reality, the customers end up paying ₹276 per month. This includes ₹100 towards monthly instalment for set top box and ₹27 towards GST. “Also, there is no guarantee that women will get daily serials with these set top boxes without interruption. They have to go for the HD version,” he said.
Apart from this, high-speed Internet would not be given as promised by the APSFL. He alleged that Mr. Naidu, who claims to have brought about reforms in many sectors, wants to put pressure on master signal operators (MSOs) and get them into his fold and control the cable system through which bring pressure on satellite channels. He recalled how two private news channels and one senior journalist were controlled during the bifurcation time.
‘Pattiseema a stop gap arrangement’
On release of 3,100 cusecs of water from the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation project on Monday, Mr. Arun Kumar said that as of now it was useful as the inflows in the Godavari had been good in the last three months. “In last 25 years, we have not seen heavy inflows during summer, particularly in the months of May and June. In April, it was 9,900 cusecs and in May it was 11, 013 cusecs. Mr. Naidu is lucky,” he said. He, however, stuck to his stand that Pattiseema would become redundant once the Polavaram project was completed.
Mr. Arun Kumar declined comment on the sacking of Brahmin corporation Chairman IYR Krishna Rao.
