Botcha flays Pawan for making baseless allegations

Vijayawada: Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana condemned the allegations made by Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan on Rs 10,000 crore corruption in Jagananna Housing scheme.

Stating that Jagananna housing layout in Vizianagaram district is the second biggest in the State aimed to provide house sites to 12,000 people, the Minister asked Pawan not to make baseless allegations.

Speaking to mediapersons at the party central office here on Tuesday, the Minister said that while the State government has taken up housing programme for poor in a big way, the opposition parties were resorting to mudslinging against the State government.

He said Pawan Kalyan who visited Gunkalam of Vizianagaram district to inspect the progress of Jagananna housing colony, instead of trying to know the field-level information, stated that YSRCP leaders complained against him (Pawan) in New Delhi.

The Minister said that the State government has spent Rs 7,700 crore towards housing so far. He said people are not ready to believe the words of the JSP chief. He said Pawan Kalyan should know how many houses were constructed during the TDP regime.

Botcha wondered how Pawan could have an association with the TDP when he had already tied up with the BJP. He clarified that the YSRCP was protesting against the privatisation move of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and the same was conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Botcha said that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was ready to launch administration from Visakhapatnam at any time despite hurdles being created by some parties.

He said that all hurdles were cleared for Bhogapuram airport. He said that the Chief Minister made it clear before the Prime Minister that the interests of State were of top priority for the YSRCP government. He said that they were expecting a positive response on development programmes in the State after the PM's visit.