Decries CM Jagan's 'selfish agenda'

Lokesh: AP getting poorer and J-family richer

Sakshi paid huge funds but no pensions for 'avva tatalu'

Govt employees, pensioners yet to get salaries

AMARAVATI (prajaamaravati): TDP National General Secretary and MLC Nara Lokesh on Wednesday questioned the rationale behind the Jaganmohan Reddy Government paying crores of rupees to Sakshi media towards advertisements at a time when benefits and salaries were not yet paid to lakhs of 'avva tatalu' (old age people), the Government employees and pensioners.

Mr. Lokesh said that the State was right now facing a severe financial crunch but the Chief Minister had not hesitated to get Rs. 16.87 Cr of public funds paid to Sakshi today. This payment was made through the comprehensive financial management system (CFMS) of the AP Government. On the other hand, lakhs of the old age pension beneficiaries did not receive their benefits. The Government employees had not received salaries on the first day of the month and four days passed already.

In a statement here, Mr. Nara Lokesh said that the Government had not yet deposited pension amounts in the bank accounts of the retired employees. Three months passed but the Government was not paying salaries to the staff of 108 ambulance services, who were rescuing the people's lives day in and day out. The CM got the sanitary workers arrested when they held protests demanding payment of their pending salaries.

Mr. Lokesh deplored that the Chief Minister was behaving as if his family's private agenda and interests were paramount over and above those of the general public. Till now, over Rs. 220 Cr advertising revenue was given to the CM's own media, which was born out of his illegal assets. All sections of people, institutions and systems were suffering a great deal while the CM's family companies were flourishing and growing multiple folds in the past 26 months.

Mr. Nara Lokesh recalled how the Jagan Reddy regime had struck fear and insecurity in the managements of all other cement companies only to create huge benefits to the cement company in his wife Bharati's name. Without any scruples, the CM made the Government buy over 2,28,370.14 metric tonnes of cement from Bharati Cements at prices higher than the prevailing market rates.

Mr. Lokesh said that the Chief Minister was on a single point agenda to take maximum benefits for his own companies ever since he came to power. The Krishna river waters were allotted to the CM's own Saraswati Power Company at very cheap rates. Mr. Jagan Reddy and his coterie were bent on amassing huge wealth through cement, sand, land, wine, mines and water mafia. The YCP was looting all public resources through J-tax collections while leaving debts and multi-crore loans for the people of the State.