Wondering why Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was fearing about the possible raids by the Income-Tax Department when his government was corruption-free, Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan on Sunday said that he had committed a mistake in extending support to the TDP in the 2014 elections.
“In the coming elections, the JSP will be voted to power to set right the misrule. We have our priorities right and we also have the blessings of the people,” he said while addressing a public meeting at Jaggampeta as part of his ongoing district tour.
‘Corruption rampant’
Accusing the State government of encouraging corruption in mineral mining, Mr. Pawan Kalyan said no action had been taken against those who violated norms in laterite mining at Vantada and who had not even paid the fine levied by the court.
“The State government is playing the role of a mute spectator. The TDP leaders had accused the Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s government of resorting to large-scale corruption in the mining sector and Mr. Naidu had then promised that transparency would be brought into the governance,” Mr. Pawan Kalyan recalled.
‘Naidu’s experience is of no use’
Observing that there was no change in the situation at the ground level even during the TDP rule, he said that Mr. Naidu’s experience in politics was of no use to the people.
“Corruption is rampant everywhere and no steps are being initiated to ensure transparency in the administration,” he said.
Taking potshots at Mr. Naidu for forging an alliance with the Congress, he said that it was Mr. Naidu who had held the Congress responsible for the division of the State.
“Instead of fighting for the Special Category Status (SCS), Mr. Naidu accepted the special package. Even now he lacks sincerity in achieving SCS. If he is serious about it, let him convene an all-party meeting to discuss the issue at length and chalk out a plan of action to achieve it,” the JSP president said.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Pawan Kalyan visited the Vantada area, where laterite mining was in progress and interacted with the residents.
Expressing concern over pollution and absence of basic infrastructure there, Mr. Pawan Kalyan held the State government responsible for the sorry state of affairs.
