YSR Congress Chief Jagan Mohan Reddy's Protest Against TDP Concludes

YSR Congress President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy today alleged that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is presenting a poor scene of the state's economy only to avoid implementation of TDP's election promises like farm loan waiver.

"Chandrababu Naidu has been incessantly telling lies and history shows that he was never soft on farmers. In the past, we have seen reversing of election promises like prohibition, subsidised power tariff and the like and now he is trying to get away without implementing his poll promises.

"We should not fall prey to his wily tactics, but join hands to bring him back to terms with a state-wide agitation on loan waver to farmers and women self help groups, and other promises made in the manifesto," he said, addressing a large gathering on the concluding day of the Farmers' Deeksha (farmers' protest) in this town in West Godavari district.

"Chandrababu Naidu and his team have been cutting a sorry figure on the state of finance and the poor condition of exchequer. All this is by design. Giving a shoddy picture of the state finance is only to avoid the welfare schemes, like loan waiver, refrain from increasing the salaries of employees as per PRC recommendations and to further slash the welfare schemes," he said.

Even now Me Naidu is "replaying the same old tune" and people should be cautious and thwart any such move by intensifying the struggle, he charged.

The cost of one tractor load of sand has gone up by five times, fertilisers have become expensive and Mr Naidu is ready to increase municipal taxes and other charges but shows no intention to waive loan for farmers and Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWACRA) group, Mr Reddy alleged.

"Chandrababu Naidu has the history of imposing taxes heavily, collecting water user charges and steeply increasing water cess, power tariff for farmers and has imposed taxes of Rs 2,150 crores on a single day contending that the State is short of finances," he said.

The YSRCP leader asked the state government as to how many loans of farmers and DWACRA groups were waived so far.