Congress takes up cudgels against Naidu

Nagarjunanagar (Guntur): Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Monday accused Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of betraying the trust of the people by failing to deliver on his promises. The APCC organised a protest meeting at the venue at Nagarjuna University in Guntur district where Naidu took oath of office on June 8 to focus the attention of people on “betrayal of election promises.”

• APCC organises protest meeting at the venue where Chief Minister was sworn in on June 8
• A farmer, a DWCRA representative and others said they were taken for a ride

The party leaders and activists undertook clean-up operation of the place, saying that it was “polluted” by the visit of Naidu when he was sworn in as Chief Minister there. APCC president N Raghuveera Reddy invited the representatives of farmers, weavers, DWCRA women, pensioners, unemployed youth, government employees and minorities to speak out on matters of public concern.

A farmer Mekapothula Venkateswara Reddy from Rentachintala mandal in Guntur district said he had raised cotton and chillies crops on four acres of land and borrowed Rs 2 lakh from a bank. The government had not so far paid even a single rupee as part of promise to waive farm loans.

The banks kept issuing notices to him. He was declared a defaulter and the banks refused to give fresh loan. He further regretted that he was also deprived of the crop insurance due to non-payment of the existing loan.

A weaver Vitthamsetti Sivaji from Mangalagiri said he had borrowed Rs 25,000 from the State Bank of India. The government had failed to write off the loan. The bank kept issuing notices to him. Several workshops in which looms were being operated were shut as a result of default on payment of loan, he said. Mumtaz, a member of the Balaji Women SHG from Guntur city, said their group had borrowed Rs 2.50 lakh from a bank. The group did not repay the loan, believing in Naidu’s promise that the entire loan amount would written. “But regrettably the government had failed us,” she bemoaned.

An employee of the Acharya Nagarjuna University, Nutakki Venkateswarlu said the Chief Minister had failed to extend retirement age relaxation for the University employees, though it was promised to all the government employees. Raghuveera Reddy demanded that Naidu implement all the promises the latter had made in TDP election manifesto. He cautioned the Chief Minister of “backlash” if he failed to deliver on his promises. He said the Congress would take up cudgels against the Naidu government on behalf of the people.

Former Minister Kasu Venkata Krishna Reddy, former MLA Malladi Vishnu and party leaders M Mallikharjuna Rao, Shaik Mastan Vali, K Vinay Kumar, P J R Sudhakar Babu, Rajeev Ratan, Devineni Avinash, Meesala Rajeswara Rao, K Butchi Babu, Lingamsetti Eswara Rao and several others took part.