Opposition is filled with venom, says Ponguleti

Khammam: Launchinga sharp attack on Opposition, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy on Sunday said that leaders who ruled the State for a decade and pushed it into debt are now spreading “venom” out of fear that their misdeeds will be exposed.

Addressing a public meeting at Maddulapalli village during Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s visit, Ponguleti said, “A snake has poison only in its fangs, but those leaders are filled with poison from head to toe. Having looted the state for ten years, they are now constantly spewing venom against the people’s government.”

Referring to recent electoral outcomes, the Minister said people have already delivered a clear verdict in favour of the Congress in the Assembly, Parliament and by-elections. The party’s victory in about 69 per cent of gram panchayats in the recent local body elections was a referendum on the Congress government’s performance.

Calling upon party cadre to carry the same momentum into the upcoming municipal elections, Ponguleti said the Congress should ensure a clean sweep in all municipalities and the municipal corporation in the undivided Khammam district, leaving opposition candidates to forfeit their deposits.

Highlighting development works, he said irrigation projects would become milestones in the district’s progress. The Munneru–Paleru link canal, being taken up at a cost of Rs 162.54 crore, would stabilise irrigation for around 1.5 lakh acres, he said.

He also pointed to the foundation-laying for a JNTU engineering college building costing Rs 108.60 crore and a 100-bed hospital at Kusumanchi with an outlay of Rs 45.50 crore, describing them as major benefits for youth and the poor.

The Minister said development works worth Rs 361.55 crore were launched from the Maddulapalli platform by the Chief Minister, reflecting the government’s commitment to the region.

Ponguleti assured party workers that those who toiled day and night for the party would be given due recognition. He said the Congress government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, is committed to safeguarding the interests of the poor and ensuring development continues uninterrupted, despite what he termed as “baseless propaganda” by the opposition.