VISHAKAPATNAM: Revenue minister Dharmana Prasadarao alleged that Opposition leader Chandrababu Naidu was instigating the farmers to hold the padayatra.
Addressing a press conference in Srikakulam, the minister said people of north Andhra would not keep quiet if a campaign was started against the selection of Visakhapatnam as the administrative capital.
“You want us to remain as daily wage earners, mason and domestic help for all life,” the minister asked Chandrababu Naidu. “Naidu knows with his 40 years of experience in politics what happened to the rest of Andhra when focus was on the development of Hyderabad.”
“Jagan took a wise decision by launching the concept of decentralization that would develop the backward areas on an equal footing. The issue was discussed in the assembly at length,’’ the minister noted.
He said that for 65 years, Hyderabad received massive investment resulting in the negligence of other areas across Andhra Pradesh. The chief minister now wants that such mistakes are not repeated and hence the idea of three capitals for parallel development.
“Even the Sivaramakrishnan committee has suggested having the capital in a backward area and not in a rice bowl. But Naidu did not accept this model,’’ Prasada Rao said.
The minister affirmed that Naidu has been focusing on Amaravarti since it benefited his family members and his friends. Naidu made his friends and TD leaders buy lands surrounding the capital in order for them to mint money in future, he said.
Citing examples of backwardness of north Andhra, the minister said when the central government gave 23 institutions after bifurcation, not a single institution was established in Srikakulam district.
“Let the farmers come and have darshan of Sun God Suryanarayana Swamy. We welcome them. Let them not talk against the capital,’’ the minister said.
