Nara Lokesh accuses AP govt of mismanagement over coal crisis

Amravati: Telugu Desam Party National general secretary and MLC Nara Lokesh on Saturday took a dig at chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy over coal shortage in Andhra Pradesh and blamed him for not paying workers’ dues.

The TDP leader expressed concerns over the chief minister’s approach to the situation and the increasing electricity charges. He said “The Central Government has alerted the State 40 days in advance about the emerging coal shortage but the AP CM did not take timely measures to save the people from power cuts. In a statement here, Nara Lokesh said that the people of Andhra Pradesh put lots of hope but Jagan Reddy has turned AP into ‘Andhakara andhra pradesh’ (Darkness-filled State) in just two and half years.”

Lokesh questioned Jagan Government as to why it did not pay Rs. 215 Cr of pending bills to the coal-producing companies. This one instance was enough to say how Jagan Reddy was interested only in his personal agenda but not the well-being of the five crores of the State.

Earlier this week, TDP MLC  M. Ravindranath Reddy also blamed the government over rampant corruption leading to the coal crises. “All this was not because of the chief minister’s failures or inefficiency but because of his greed for money and power,” he said.