Can Chandrababu Ever Hope To Win The Affection Of People?

Kondakarla Junction, Visakhapatnam District: For four days, my Padayatra moved through Yalamanchili constituency. I met the displaced people of the naval base in Rambilli mandal, who showed me the minutes of a meeting recorded in the presence of the then collector seven years ago. The government had then agreed to fulfil 13 demands of theirs. However, to date, not one has been fulfilled. Similarly, the displaced people of SEZ found themselves at the mercy of corrupt local TDP leaders.

Villagers from the resettlement colony of Dibbapalem narrated to me the rampant corruption of the TDP leaders involving crores of rupees. The greed of the corrupt ruling party leaders seems to be insatiable and they appear to find novel methods of indulging in corruption. This is something they seem to have learnt from Chandrababu Naidu.

Kondakarla has the second biggest water supply source with an ayacut of 10,000 acres. It has 3 lift irrigation schemes and has more than 300 fishermen families dependent on it. The local residents told me that this precious water body is now suffering from government neglect. There is a great need to conserve it and turn it into a centre of tourist attraction.

I came to know that when my father visited this area as a part of his Bus Yatra in 2003, he and my mother had lunch by the shade of a tree here near Sanikalava Junction. People still have fond memories of his visit to this place. They took me to that spot and shared their recollections with me and gave me a fruit to eat there.

I planted a mango sapling there after paying homage to the memory of my father. The significance which people genuinely attach to the memory of my father is a priceless treasure to me. People who serve society selflessly is a rare sight today. It is the duty of the government to encourage such people and support them in every possible manner. When the government itself creates hurdles, it becomes difficult for those who serve society unselfishly, to function. I saw some physically and mentally challenged children at Kondakarla. All of them were orphans under the care of an NGO. It made me very sad to learn that these children were not even getting the pension due to them on the pretext that they were not eligible as they had no ration card. Unless they have parents they would not be eligible for a ration card. This is the catch 22 situation they are in. What kind of justice is this? Are they not the most eligible lot when it comes to welfare schemes and government help? For four years, people running the NGO have been trying to secure pensions for these poor children without success. Officials cite lame excuses to turn them away and deny pensions to them, while TDP leaders get away claiming pensions showing the living as dead!

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Villagers of Dopperla expressed anguish saying that their names were disappearing from voters’ lists. This is happening across the state. For a leader who believes in corrupt means and shortcuts, does it come as any surprise that voters lists are altered? Such leaders will do anything to gain power.

I have a question for the chief minister — you have a history of acquiring power through corrupt, backdoor means, stabbing others in the back and making false promises. Can you hope to gain power through the love and support of people? Could you gain popularity with the masses and their affection after coming to power? Is it not true that you could never gain such acceptance from the people of this State?