Government urged to buy vaccines from firms: TDP

Mangalagiri: The leaders of the TDP strongly objected to the YSRCP government not coming forward to buy the required quantities of Covid vaccine even though all other states were making advance bookings to the Serum Institute of India to save the lives of their respective peoples.

A meeting of the top leaders of the TDP was held under the leadership of party national president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu here on Monday. The leaders discussed the prevailing epidemic situation in the state in detail and put forth several demands to the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy regime.

The TDP leaders said the ruling YSRCP stooped to the level of asking the Opposition leader for the purchase of vaccine in a bankrupt manner. They were hatching a conspiracy to blame Naidu even for the vaccine crisis. AP got Rs 2,876 crore grant from the 15th Finance Commission in April and May. There was higher revenue from increased taxes and borrowings. Still, the May 5 Cabinet meeting allocated just Rs 45 crore for vaccine purchase which exposed lack of any concern for the safety of the people's lives.

Questioning the wisdom of the AP rulers, the TDP leaders asked whether the Chief Minister had a right to continue in that post considering his lack of interest in solving the problems at a time of the Covid calamity. Jagan Reddy was giving very less funds for the epidemic fight while giving top priority to schemes that would bring huge commissions. The CM should stop caste-based conspiracies. The Government should immediately place advance orders just like other States like Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and others.

The TDP leaders said that the Serum Institute has already issued a press release saying that 50 per cent of vaccine would be sold to the states as per the Centre's instructions. But, the AP Ministers were saying that their Chief Minister has written letters to the Centre. Once the vaccine was supplied by the Centre, it would be given to the AP people. This was nothing but escaping from its responsibility on the part of the AP rulers.

The TDP meeting demanded immediate removal of director of mines Venkata Reddy and he should be replaced with an IAS officer. Unprecedented looting started in the mining department after an IAS officer was removed and non-IAS Venkata Reddy was brought from the Coast Guard. Over 10 workers died in the Mamillapalle blast in the Kadapa district. The gelatin sticks licence holder was stated to be a blood relative of the Chief Minister. Why the mine operator was not yet arrested, they asked.

The TDP leaders asserted that the case filed against Chandrababu Naidu was contempt of the Supreme Court and a contempt case would be filed. The government should call for an urgent all-party meeting and it should announce a Covid assistance package for people. The TDP would continue its Covid services as the medical treatment given to 500 persons through the NTR Trust yielded good results.

The TDP said that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has taken a decision to continue the Amma canteens in their state and he took action against his own party activists for attacking those canteens to uphold the democratic values. Likewise, Anna canteens should be reopened in AP for the poor workers. The government should initiate steps for saving farmers who were suffering on account of lack of remunerative prices, the they said.