YSRCP only interested in land grabbing, says TDP leader Nara Lokesh

"The ruling party leaders here are more interested in grabbing land and illegal mining than developing their area," said the national general secretary of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Nara Lokesh.

As part of his ongoing pada yatra 'Yuva Galam', Nara Lokesh reached Kasturi Nagaram where he had a chat with the locals. The people from the area said that there are no proper roads and drainage facilities for them. Responding to them, the minister said that the local ruling party leaders are part of the sand mafia and illegal mining rather than focussing on the local issues.

Though the youth is migrating to other states in search of employment, the local MLAs and the party leaders are more interested in minting money, he remarked. He promised them once the TDP is back in the government all necessary steps will be taken to resolve their issues.

Later, when Nara Lokesh met the local women labour at Devathoti of Byreddy Mandal, they complained that the steep hike in the prices of essential commodities and cooking gas is causing a huge burden on their daily life. "Making both ends meet is becoming burdensome for us with the daily wages and the State Government did not heed our appeal for hose-sites," they said. The minister promised that once the TDP is back, the tax burden on them will be relieved and houses will be built for all the poor families.

Later, he also chaired a meeting organised by the Kuruba community at Byreddypalli where the participants said that the real independence for the Backward Classes (BCs) has come only in 1983 after the TDP came to power in the State. It is the TDP that created reservations for BCs in local bodies and a separate welfare corporation was formed for Kurubas, they said.

Nara Lokesh said that loans to the extent of Rs 10 lakh each with a 90 per cent subsidy were extended to Kurubas during the TDP regime and Mini-Gokulams was also built during that time. But after Jagan Mohan Reddy has become the Chief Minister, he is doing great injustice to them, he said, adding that by reducing the percentage of reservations Kurubas suffered more than any other community.

Observing that loans are not sanctioned for Kurubas after the YSRCP came to power, the TDP general secretary said that the BC Welfare Minister himself has admitted that the reservations for BCs were reduced. "Do we need to take Jagan as an example for imposing taxes on the garbage and for increasing prices of essentials and revising RTC charges," he asked.

Making it clear that he will not make any false promises, Nara Lokesh promised that soon after the TDP is back in power, the Kanaka Das Jayanthi will be observed as a state festival with government expenditure. He also promised to sanction funds for the Beerappa temple. (ANI)