Telugu Desam Party leaders lashed out at the State Government over the shortage of sand, and said that the party would embark on a series of agitations to pressurise the government into taking action to ease the shortage.
Former Minister and TDP politburo member Kalava Srinivasulu alleged that the State Government deliberately caused the scarcity of sand resulting in an escalation of cement prices and overall construction costs.
Addressing a media conference at the State party office here on Tuesday, Mr. Srinivasulu alleged that the sand scarcity had left lakhs of construction workers in the State without a livelihood.
“Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu will undertake a one day fast in Vijayawada to express solidarity with the lakhs of workers who have lost their jobs,” Mr. Srinivasulu said.
The Telugu Desam leaders also released a list of MLAs and their associates, alleging that they were resorting to rampant sand mining and selling the mineral at exorbitant prices in the market. Most of the names on the list were of MLAs living in the delta area.
TDP leader Bonda Umamheswara Rao said the online system of sand booking had failed due to a short window to book the sand. “A truck of sand is now costing ₹40,000 and one can have any number of truckloads, but if we book online, all we get is a pittance,” said Mr. Umamaheswara Rao.
The TDP would take up the issue across the State and planned a series of agitations, he said.
Former Minister and politburo member K. Atchannaidu alleged that though 40 persons had lost their lives across the State, the State government had announced ex gratia only for families of five.
TDP leader Alapati Rajendra Prasad claimed that it was an open secret that Bapatla MP Nandigam Suresh and Tadikonda MLA V. Sridevi fought with each other over sand mining, forcing senior leaders to intervene.
