White paper sought on loans for Amaravati

Vijayawada: CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna demanded that the state government release a white paper on the loans being taken for the construction of the capital and other expenses. Addressing the media at the state party office here on Sunday, he said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had claimed that the capital, Amaravati, would be self-sustained and that no loans would be taken for its construction. However, Ramakrishna stated that last year, the state government had taken loans amounting to Rs 90,000 crore, and in the first three days of April, it had borrowed an additional Rs 5,760 crore.

Ramakrishna stated that the government had taken Rs 11,000 crore from HUDCO, Rs 15,000 crore from the World Bank, and Rs 5,000 crore from the German bank KFW, totalling Rs 31,000 crore.

He added that the government has decided to take another Rs 31,000 crore in loans for Amaravati, bringing the total amount borrowed for the capital to Rs.62,000 crore. He remarked that he had never seen any government take thousands of crores for the construction of a capital.

He demanded that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu discuss the loans with all political parties and release a white paper on the loans taken since the government was formed, warning that the state is gradually falling into a debt trap.

He noted that loans are being taken in the names of AP Mineral Development Corporation, APIIC, Civil Supplies Corporation, Markfed, AP Power Finance Corporation, and others.

Ramakrishna reminded that NDA leaders had criticised the YSRCP government for excessive borrowing, and the current government is following the same path.

Referring to the Waqf Amendment Act, the CPI leader called it unconstitutional, alleging that the BJP-led NDA government introduced the legislation to control religious institutions in the country, including Christian properties and Hindu temple lands.

He expressed apprehension about the threat to the country posed by the BJP and said the CPI is preparing to oppose the fundamentalist and anti-constitutional policies of the Central government, planning a meeting in Vijayawada on April 13.

The CPI leader said that opposition parties have decided to approach the Supreme Court regarding the Waqf law, arguing that Article 26 grants people the liberty to follow their religion and maintain their own institutions.

He alleged that the BJP is attempting to appoint non-Muslims to Waqf boards and institutions and predicted that the party would later target Christian institutions and their religious activities. He cited an article in the RSS mouthpiece Organiser, which claimed that Catholic institutions hold more than 7 crore hectare land in India, leased by the British government.