Yanamala predicts much deeper financial crisis for State this year

Vijayawada: Former Finance Minister and senior TDP leader Yanamala Ramakrishnudu on Sunday unveiled a worrisome financial calendar of Andhra Pradesh "even in this Subhakrith" year which generally ushered in good tidings.

Though the Siddhanti who rendered the Panchangam during the official celebrations of Ugadi attended by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, on Saturday at his camp office foresaw a prosperous and happy year ahead for the people, there were clear indications of a much deeper financial crisis this year, Yanamala said.

More funds belonging to the public treasury would find their way into the pockets of the ruling YSRCP leaders, he said as part of financial mismanagement.

In a statement here, the Opposition Leader in the Legislative Council, said what was being given with one hand in the name of welfare was being snatched away by the other through fraudulent programmes. Increased charges of power, RTC and government services were burdensome. Increased house tax, toilet tax and garbage tax had already dealt a blow to the people whose financial condition was affected by the coronovirus pandemic.

Yanamala said Jagan Mohan Reddy had destroyed the State's economy as a whole by bringing multi-crore loans that he alleged, were diverted to his party's frauds and scams. On the other hand, the people's pockets were being punctured by selling very harmful brands of cheap liquor.

The TDP leader strongly objected to the government diverting the funds from the panchayats to the PD accounts which were under the control of the ruling party. Even the finance commission funds were not made available to the sarpanches. As a result, the newly elected people's representatives were unable to undertake any development works in villages.

Yanamala accused the Chief Minister of undermining 'Grama Swaraj' that Gandhiji dreamt about. The ruling YSRCP activists were nominated as grama volunteers only to undermine the powers of the elected sarpanches and place them at the mercy of the YSRCP leaders thus throwing Gandhi's village self-government policy into the dust bin.

The former Minister said usurping powers of sarpanches was tantamount to violating the 73 and 74 constitutional amendments. No other Chief Minister since Independence had acted like Jagan to deprive sarpanches of their powers. At least now, the elected leaders at village level should fight for their rights and shoulder the cause of reconstructing their villages. None of those were signs of good tidings in the New Year, he added.

Yanamala said that the court had given six months time to the government to complete Amaravati works after taking a close look at the works there. The YSRCP regime could not escape from the responsibility to complete Amaravati on the pretext of not having required funds.

The TDP leader advised the YSRCP Ministers to stop acting like puppets in the hands of a higher power and start obeying the will of the people.