Three Capitals: Sajjala slams Opposition

Vijayawada: Adviser to the government on public affairs, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, has asked the opposition parties including the BJP to explain why they are opposing decentralisation and how to achieve the impossible – of procuring Rs 1 lakh crore for the establishment of the capital in Amaravati.

Sajjala refuted the allegations of Telugu Desam, BJP, Congress, Communists and other parties that the YSRC government deceived the farmers of Amaravati. He clarified that the Jagan Reddy government increased annuity and was developing Amaravati villages, including the Karakatta road, which was “ignored” by the earlier Telugu Desam government.

Addressing the media here on Friday, Reddy termed the Amaravati protests as an artificial movement and said it best example was the dropping of the Amaravati-Arasavalli Padayatra midway through its course. “In fact, all the farmers who gave lands in Amaravati sold their remaining land at some point.

Farmers also sold their plots allotted in lieu of the lands they offered and bought lands elsewhere.”  He said that in the graphics shown by Chandrababu Naidu, those who had purchased lands for doing real estate business in Amaravati were participating in this “artificial movement.”

Calling it as part of Chandrababu's Amaravati politics, he said the TD was equipped to organise such a movement with about 200/500 people not only for 1200 days but for a lakh days.

Ramakrishna Reddy said that even the Karakatta road which was the entrance to Amaravati was not widened during Chandrababu's term. “Actually no one wants that road-widening then, which is a basic need. Chandrababu ignored that road, which meant his strategy was to continue construction and development works in the capital region for 20 to 30 years.

He said CM Jagan was widening the Karakatta road and conducting development works in Amaravati.

The adviser said Naidu had asked the Centre to spend Rs 5 lakh crore on infrastructure in Amaravati, and finally proposed a spending of more than Rs 1 lakh crore. But the TD government spent only Rs 1,500 crore, while the Centre gave AP another Rs 1,200 crore.

He alleged that Naidu did not spend at least five to six thousand crore of this money during his rule for the construction of the capital. “Now, how to get one lakh crore in one or two years for Amaravati? Let him tell us,” he said.

Ramakrishna Reddy questioned why there was an opposition to decentralization when this was the policy the whole world adopted. “It also leads to organic growth. Jagan Reddy proposed decentralization with the intention of fulfilling the aspirations of the people. Political parties need to answer why they are opposing it.”

The adviser asked why the BJP had called for a High Court in Kurnool some time ago and now sought it and the entire capital in Amaravati. “Can they justify the land scandals in the name of Amaravati,” he asked and sought answers from the BJP.

Ramakrishna Reddy said Prime Minister Modi himself had said Chandrababu used Polavaram as an ATM and Naidu considered the capital Amaravati as a “duck that lays golden eggs.”

Refuting allegations of the TD, of attacks on its leaders in Amaravati, Reddy said political leaders coming to Amaravati camped there and provoked the public with derogatory remarks and use of filthy language. “Leaders of some parties, along with the Left and the BJP, have fallen into the trap of Chandrababu who is running an artificial movement in Amaravati.”