History Will Remember Chandrababu As Foundation Stone Chief Minister  

Thotapalli Reservoir Area, Vizianagaram district: Praja Sankalpa Yatra touched the 300-day mark today. A number of contract employees and unemployed youth met me today, as well. There was one common concern expressed by all of them—there was widespread job insecurity and for the unemployed, job opportunities had dried up completely. Contract employees of the electricity department, health assistants, contract teachers of residential schools also complained today that at the time of the 2014 elections, they were promised regularisation of their jobs. This was a part of the Telugu Desam manifesto and a promise repeated by Chandrababu Naidu. After getting voted to power, he went back on his promise. Each time we went on strike, we were given false assurances, they lamented.

Arundhati of Bantuvanivalasa complained that in spite of writing TET twice and securing good marks, she is forced to write again! What kind of justice is this?, she questioned. She expressed her anguish saying that the syllabus for the DSC exam was increased and fresh syllabus added, a month before the exam.

Babu Rao met me near the Camp office this afternoon. Having studied up to 10th standard, he was doing minor mechanical jobs. Without any higher education, despite being socio-economically backward, he tried to use his creativity in small innovations. Fired by a zeal to help the farmer, with perseverance, he became an inventor. He came up with the drum-seeder which helped farmers in many ways and was praised by all. He also won the gold medal in the International Innovation Fair held at Visakhapatnam in 2017. In this fair in which 30 countries took part, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu gave him the gold medal and assured the innovator that he would help him in every possible way. In his usual manner, Chandrababu Naidu soon forgot all about it. Once again it became evident that he is a man of words and a publicity-seeker. Whatever happened to the Rs100 crore fund which was meant for such innovators?

This evening I crossed Parvathipuram constituency and stepped into Kurupam. I was filled with joy as I walked past the Thotapalli project. This was my father, the late Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy‘s dream project. His memory remains etched in the hearts and minds of people of this area who remember him with gratitude for giving them this project. My resolve to turn Andhra Pradesh into a green state where the farmer would have abundant water for cultivating his crops, got strengthened even more.

On the other hand, Chandrababu Naidu has become associated with laying foundation stones. Prior to 2004, Chandrababu Naidu had laid the foundation stone and then washed his hands off the project. After my father came to power, he ensured that 95% of the work was completed in his tenure.

After Chandrababu Naidu came to power, without completing the remaining works, he hastily got the project painted and pretended to inaugurate it fresh. Perhaps he does not feel ashamed to lay foundation stones only for election publicity nor does he have any qualms about cutting ribbons in inaugural ceremonies for work done by others! One gains stature only when one can turn the dreams and aspirations of people into reality.

I have a question for the chief minister—is it not true that the estimated costs of this project have been inflated indiscriminately, while the remaining works on the minor canal have not been completed? Isn’t calling for tenders for work worth Rs.195 crores on left and right Canals of Nagavali three months before the elections purely for commissions?

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