Centre adopting ‘step-motherly attitude’ towards Andhra Pradesh: YSRC MP Vijayasai Reddy

VIJAYAWADA: Accusing the Centre of maintaining double standards when it comes to resolving the issues concerning Andhra Pradesh, YSRC Parliamentary Party leader V Vijayasai Reddy on Sunday, July 18, 2021, said they would raise the inordinate delay in approving the revised cost estimates (RCE) of Polavaram project in the monsoon session of Parliament.

The YSRC would also strongly oppose the privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP). The Centre’s ‘inaction’ in conducting a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into Amaravati land scam, AP fibernet project and burning of the chariot of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Antarvedi would also be raised in the Parliament session, he said.

Speaking to the media after attending the all-party meeting ahead of the Parliament session in Delhi, Vijayasai Reddy alleged that there was a ‘deliberate’ delay in the approval of the RCE of Polavaram project even though the State asked for it long ago. “Though the technical committee had approved the RCE of Rs 55,657 crore, the file has been kept pending at the Ministry of Jal Shakti,” he said, adding that the repeated pleas of Andhra Pradesh to shift the Polavaram Project Authority office from Hyderabad to Rajamahendravaram went unheeded. The Rajya Sabha member said they made it clear in the all-party meeting that the YSRC is against the Centre’s move to privatise VSP.

‘No govt has right to sell national assets like PSUs’ 

“Steps should be taken to revive PSUs, which are running in losses, but selling them away is not a solution. The PSUs are national assets and no government has the right to sell them,’’ he remarked.
The Rajya Sabha MP reiterated that the YSRC has proposed three measures — allocation of captive mines, conversion of loans into equity and merger of the plant with another Central PSU — as an alternative to disinvesting the stake of the Centre in the VSP.

On the issue of Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh, Vijayasai Reddy said the Centre is adopting a ‘step-motherly’ attitude towards the State by not according the status even eight years after bifurcation. “The Centre is depriving the State of SCS on the pretext of the Finance Commission’s recommendation. “This clearly shows that the BJP government is acting in a biased manner towards the State. The BJP is resorting to opportunistic politics and maintaining double standards,” he alleged.

The MP said they also urged the Centre to give environmental clearance to the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme at the earliest apart from seeking release of funds due to Andhra Pradesh. “The State is to get `15,056 crore as subsidy towards Public Distribution Scheme rice and `6,750 crore under MGNREGA,’’ he said. On the disqualification petition moved against rebel YSRC MP K Raghu Rama Krishnam Raju, he said action was taken against JD(U) MP Sharad Yadav one week after serving the notice.

“No action has been taken on our petition against Raju deliberately. After 11 months, the Lok Sabha Speaker has asked us to rectify the mistakes in our petition. This is nothing but going against the Supreme Court directive to act within six months on disqualification petitions,’’ he said, and added that the YSRC would expose the ‘double standards’ of the BJP in Parliament.