Will probe Polavaram, capital city scams: Jagan

New Delhi: Chief Minister-designate of Andhra Pradesh Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Sunday had an hour-long discussion with BJP Parliamentary Party leader Narendra Modi and later with party president Amit Shah for about half an hour, and declared that 'all scams of the Telugu Desam government during the last five years shall be probed."

Jagan invited Modi to his swearing-in ceremony on May 30, but the latter has reminded him that he was also swearing in on the same day and asked Jagan to plan for some other occasion.

He promised to visit the state later. The CM-designate said while the Amaravati capital city was a huge scam with the TDP leadership accumulating vast tracts of lands even before the capital was announced as part of 'insider trading' with former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu leaking information to his associates, while misleading the people on the location by changing it often soon after coming to power.

"This insider-trading attracts harsh punishment including a jail term and we shall not spare the guilty. We shall identify each and every scam and zero in on it.

We shall take back the property acquired through illegal means and then go for reverse-tendering. This applies to even in the case of Polavaram project.

We shall look into it thoroughly and identify if there is a scam first. Whether we do it or ask the Centre to do so, reverse-tendering shall be ensured.

But it has to be completed in a time-bound manner. But if you ask me, Polavaram itself was not necessary. Now that we have it, it has to be completed at the earliest," Jagan said.

But before this, a white paper will be released after the review of each department as people should know the state's financial situation.

AP's condition was in dire straits and without the support of the Centre there is little that we could do anything. But Modi was graceful enough to patiently listen to the long list of grievances which gave him an impression that he would be considerate to the pleas of AP", Jagan added.

Vowing to implement all his manifesto promises, , the CM-designate said prohibition would be in place in a phased manner due to financial constraints initially.

"But let me assure you that by 2024, I shall ensure that only five-star hotels in the state shall be serving liquor. I shall not go to next elections without implementing this promise," he said.

Jagan was confident that within six months, the state would be cleansed of corruption from every area and the system to tackle the menace would be effectively in place for the entire country to see.

"Ours would be a revolutionary government, just wait and watch," he added. On his meeting with Telangana CM KCR, he said ït was a courtesy call.

It is a real good beginning for the two Telugu states which have entered a cordial phase now, he said. In fact, KCR has gone ahead and supported the SCS demand. "Together, we will fight for the status promised to us with the combined strength of 31 MPs," he added.

Jagan said his meeting with Amit Shah was logical as he was the second most powerful man in the country and his help was sought in handling AP issues.

"I requested the PM to look into the SCS at once. I shall make several more trips to Delhi if need be and relentlessly pursue the issue till he yields.

It is a difficult job. I understand but has to be done," he said. Modi later tweeted that he would extend all support to the AP government.

Warm welcome at AP Bhavan

New Delhi: Chief Minister-designate Y S Jaganmohan Reddy was given a warm welcome in New Delhi here on Sunday.

As soon as he reached AP Bhavan, after his meeting with Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, a large crowd of locals burst crackers and showered petals on him.

Later, senior bureaucrats of Telugu states working with the Centre and officials of AP Bhavan hosted a reception for Jagan.

He was accompanied by Chief Secretary L V Subramanyam and nine MPs, including V Vijaysai Reddy, Balashouri, Mithun Reddy and Avinash Reddy.