Hyderabad, Feb 22: The Opposition leader in the Legislative Assembly Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday targeted the ministers who were facing allegations, while participating in a discussion on motion of thanks to the  Governor for his address to the  joint session of the legislature. He made it clear that the Governor’s speech was not acceptable to his party as it was away from the realty and truth. 

Chandrababu Naidu spoke strategically and succeeded in exposing the ministers facing allegations without mentioning their names. He has created an atmosphere that the ministers concerned reacted themselves. 

The TDP leader regretted that the Government has made the Governor to talk untruths. Though it was mentioned in the Governor’s address in 2004 that expenditure on agriculture would not be reduced and crop production would be increased to improve the condition of the farmers, now the farmers   in Konaseema and Godavari delta have declared crop holiday in one lakh acres. The expenditure on agriculture has increased 300 percent in the last eight years. The Minimum Support Price was available to the farmers nowhere in the state. The State Government was not in a position to decide State Advisory Price to sugar cane crop, he pointed out. 

Reminding that the central teams have arrived in Rabi season to the state to assess the crop damage faced by the farmers in Khariff season, he alleged that the Chief Minister and the Ministers were making rounds to New Delhi to protect their posts, but not the interests of the State.

Terming the Congress Government in the state as anti-BC, Naidu pointed out that mere Rs 24.23 crores have been allocated for BC Corporation in the budgets by the government for the last eight years. The Government was unable to completely spend SC/ST sub-plan funds of Rs 44,350 crores. A Chairman was also not appointed to SC Commission. Referring to desecration of Ambedkar statues in the state, he strongly criticized Kiran Kumar Reddy Government for not protecting the statues. The ITDAs have been diluted in the Congress rule, he added.   

Strongly objecting to it, the Minister for Rural Development Manikhya Varaprasad said that the utterances of the opposition leader were half-truths. From the time of Jawaharlal Neharu, it was the Congress Party which stood behind the dalits and instilled self-confidence in them. He advised Naidu to recollect in whose period, attacks were taken place on Dalits.  

Continuing his speech, Chandrababu Naidu alleged that an examination centre of VRO and VRA posts in a famous college in Srikakulam was shifted to other place due to the marriage reception of a Minister’s son. He alleged that it has created severe hardship to the candidates and a father who took her daughter to the exam met an accident in which the girl severely injured. He demanded Rs 10 lakhs ex-gratia to the family and government job to the girl. 

Reacting to the comments, the Minister for Roads and Buildings Darmana Prasad Rao informed that he got the permission on November 19 from the Commissioner of the Municipality for organizing his son’s reception on February 19, in the college ground by paying user charges. Claiming that permission to the function was got much before the conduct of the examination; he said that the college was not even notified as examination centre.  It was unfortunate that Opposition leader was talking on the matter without knowing the facts, he added. 

Pooh-poohing the clarification given by the minister, the Opposition leader questioned as to why the minister has not shifted the venue of reception function keeping in mind the interests of the people. One’s marriage should not cause another’s death, he pointed out.  

He also alleged that another Minister belonging to Krishna district also sent e-mail directions to the district officials that ruling party MLAS, defeated ruling party candidates or ruling party ZPTCs should be given opportunity to select beneficiaries of Housing schemes. The ruling party leaders may collect money from the people assuring the houses, which would also bring bad name to the Government. 

Strongly reacting to it, the Minister for Secondary Education Parthasarathi went hammer and tongs at Naidu, losing his cool. He  made it clear that he was ready for any punishment, if it was proved that a person who has not applied for house at Racchhabanda and registered his name online, was selected as beneficiary in his district. 

Objecting to the behavior of the minister, the TDP members rushed to the podium of the Speaker and registered protest.  

Demanding the removal of the minister from the cabinet for his misbehavior in the house, Naidu said that government was not property of the Congress leaders. The former union minister Raja, who also talked like Parthasarathi, was now spending time in the jail. We are public servants, but not to dominate the people, he reminded. 

Stating that 140 MLAs and 20 ministers had links with liquor syndicate, Chandrababau Naidu alleged that they amassed total Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 crores of public money. 

Alleging that the law and order situation was worst in the state, he stated that some IAS officers were sent to jails due to the mistakes of the ministers. He called up on the Bureaucrats to get the orders in writing from the ministers before signing on the files. 

Reacting to it, the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy said that Naidu was still not digesting the mandate given by the people of the state.