With scant regard for society and unconcern for the poor, the Congress government has indulged in corruption and his padayatra is meant to create awareness among people about the damage done, former chief minister and TDP president N.Chandrababu Naidu has said.
Addressing a meeting here on the third day of his “Vastunna Mee Kosam” padayatra in the district on Tuesday, he said people were paying taxes highest than any other State in the country.
Asking villagers to name individuals, he said people closest to YSR revealed that a person known as “atma” of the late chief minister colluded with Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy to find shell companies and invest ill-gotten money.
The State budget which was a mere Rs.25,000 crore during TDP regime shot up to Rs.1.65 lakh crore and of that Rs.70,000 crore was taxes paid by people another Rs.20,000 crore revenue from liquor. But all that did not provide any relief to people reeling under rising prices of essential commodities and LPG, higher electricity tariff, lack of water and other basic amenities, he reminded the villagers. The Congress looted the state and left people in the lurch, he alleged.
Mr. Naidu said in the last nine years drought or floods caused a massive loss of Rs. 54,000 crore but the relief obtained was a mere Rs.3,000 crore and the Chief Minister did not know how to get relief from the Centre. The 32 MPs and 10 Central Ministers from the State failed to do anything, he said.
To help people earn a living, the TDP government has distributed 54 lakh tonnes of rice under the Food-for-Work programme but under the employment guarantee scheme now no one was getting the full complement of 100 days work, he said.
During his interaction with people, he said their suffering revealed that no succour was provided to them and they had none to seek help. The welfare of all sections would be taken care of if TDP was voted back to power, he repeatedly assured them.
Polit Buro member Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu and others participated.
