YSRCP Government misleads people with false claims on industries: Nara Lokesh

Mangalagiri: TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh on Wednesday slammed the YSRCP government for 'misleading' people by making 'wrong claims' on the setting up of large-scale industries with employment generation potential in Andhra Pradesh.

Lokesh asked whether Industries Minister M Goutham Reddy could give any proof for the so-called 65 major industries that came up in the past two years of the Jagan regime. On the contrary, the industries were harassed and forced to pay J-tax (Jagan tax), he alleged. The Minister seemed to project these massive J tax collections as investments in the AP State industrial growth, he ridiculed.

In a statement here, Lokesh said that the only companies that came up in the Jagan regime were those false liquor companies that were selling President's Medal whiskey and Andhra Star brandy.

Decrying the government's 'reckless' policies, Lokesh demanded the Chief Minister to clarify whether he did not raise huge hopes on big industries and massive employment opportunities, if he was voted to power in 2019.

After coming to power, Jagan Reddy was on a single point agenda to destroy all other industries while using his power to promote his own companies and personal wealth.

Lokesh deplored that even the YSRCP MPs themselves behaved like 'street rowdies' and threatened big industries like the Kia Motors. Seeing this, no new multi-national company was coming forward to set up industries in AP now. The YSRCP was using the AP Pollution Control Board (PCB) to harass the companies that were not paying the J-tax. Would any company put investments in the State after seeing such oppression, he questioned.