TDP senior leader E Peddi Reddy has strongly criticized the government for
its inaction on the cyclone and said the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Governor, ministers
and central ministers were all struggling for their own positions ignoring the people stuck in
worst floods, like the Emperor Nero who fiddled while Rome was burning.
Talking to the media here on Monday, he said though 27 persons lost their lives, crops were
lost in 10 lakh acres and loss was caused to the extent of 10,000 crore rupees, they were
unconcerned. He said their attitude was giving rise to doubts if they were in the state or
not. He said in the Delhi meeting which he has termed as Rahul Bhajan programme, the fact that
none of the participants including the Prime Minister Congress president Sonia Gandhi and
Rahul Gandhi spoke a single word about the sad calamity that struck AP showed that they were
unconcerned about the state. He said a loss of Rs. 10,000 cr. was not appearing to them to be
big as they were putting up with corruption to the tune of lakhs of crores of rupees. He said
the Prime Minister owed an apology to the people of Andhra Pradesh.
Peddi Reddy said that while the state faced calamities 14 times during the past 9 years and
suffered a loss of Rs. 50,000 cr., the central government gave only Rs.2,000 cr. He said
though the central team itself had estimated theloss in 2009 as Rs. 1000 cr., the central
government has so far given only Rs. 400 cr. “What is the sin committed by the people of the
state? Is it to bring the UPA to power twice? Are the 10 central ministers sleeping? Has the
Chief Minister who came from Botsa daughter’s marriage and rushed to Raj Bhavan to greet the
governor on his birthday, gone to the flood affected areas? Why has he not held at least a
review meeting? Are they showing negligence as they knew that they would anyway not come to
power?” he has questioned.
He said though there were cyclone warnings about Nilam three days ahead, the government had
failed to take proper precautionary measures. He has questioned what purpose the helicopter
survey of the Chief Minister would serve. Referring to the statement of Rahul Gandhi that
doors of justice were closed on the poor, Peddi Reddy said in fact it has now become clear
that doors were closed on the poor as the Congress rulers had opened flood gates for
corruption.
The TDP leader had demanded immediate compensation of Rs. 10,000 to farmers who suffered
losses due to floods. (NSS)