Kapu Quota: Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu justifies 5 per cent reservation

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has justified his decision to give half of the 10 per cent quota to Kapus, stating it was a promise made earlier to the community and a decision in that regard was also not new.

Addressing party cadre through teleconference - ‘Election Mission 2019’, Naidu termed the latest Cabinet decisions historic and wanted the party cadre to publicise them with vigour among the masses.

“The decision of 5 per cent reservation to Kapus is not new. We have already sent the same to Centre, but the BJP government there has not agreed. Now, we have allocated 5 per cent out of 10 per cent reservation to Kapus and balance to economically weaker sections (EWS),” he told partymen.

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Elaborating on the decisions of the State Cabinet like doubling social security pensions, succour to AgriGold victims, life tax waiver to auto rickshaws and tractors, payment of `60,000 per house (houses for poor) constructed sans permission since 2014, health insurance, amendments to dotted land Act and clearance of DA dues to government employees, the TDP supremo wanted the party cadre to give wide publicity to the same.

At the same time, he wanted the party’s rank and file to give equal publicity to ‘betrayal’ of BJP in implementing promises made to the State and the NDA government’s ‘non-cooperation’ and how the State government has been striving for the development of the State and welfare of people.

Naidu minced no words when he lashed out at Narendra Modi and said the latter’s comments that anti-BJP alliance has four Prime Minister aspirants after Opposition unity rally in Kolkata, reflects the insecurity in BJP. On report card of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari about the funds released to the State by his minister, the TDP chief said there is no truth in those ‘claims’.

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‘Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh got more funds than any other State. For just one bullet train, `1 lakh crore was allocated. The roads sanctioned to AP are those from which revenue is collected in the form of toll tax,” he pointed out.

Naidu maintained that when compared to BJP ruled states, what was given to Andhra Pradesh was far less. He emphasised that Narendra Modi is the personification of discrimination. The CM attributed the total credit for development in the State in the last four-and-a-half years to TDP regime.The Chief Minister said ‘Pasupu-Kumkuma’ meetings will be held with women on January 25 in Amaravati, Kadapa and Visakhapatnam to explain what the TDP government did for their welfare.