Hyderabad: AP Assembly on Wednesday witnessed an uproar over the issue of the Special Development Fund (SDF), with Leader of the Opposition Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy accusing the ruling TDP of sanctioning funds under SDF to only their members and denying funds to the MLAs of the Opposition party.
Intervening in the issue Jagan alleged that the State government was denying funds to MLAs belonging to Opposition party while the TDP leaders and even in-charges who lost elections and aspirants were being allocated SDF funds.
Jagan alleged that the TDP in order to engineer defections from the YSRC is not releasing funds to Opposition MLAs to take up development works in their constituencies.
Taking strong exception to State government decision to suspend Assembly Constituency Development Fund (ACDF), Mr Jagan demanded the government to immediately revive it.
Brushing aside the allegations, finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu clarified that the government was sanctioning funds under SDF whoever is approaching it and there is no discrimination. The disposal of funds under SDF is at the discretion of the Chief Minister, he said.
“Whoever is approaching Chief Minister with viable proposals funds are being sanctioned. Since you (YSRC) people are not approaching us, we have not sanctioned funds to you. If Jagan approaches the CM for funds under SDF, funds would be sanctioned to him also,” the finance minister said.
Responding to Opposition party members demand to revive the ACDF the finance minister made it clear that there is no proposal to revive the ACDF and all the development works in Assembly constituencies will be taken up through SDF.
