AICC secretary and MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy on Tuesday hurled a challenge to TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu to participate in an ‘open debate’ on the welfare schemes and developmental programs being implemented by the State government.
Speaking to the media at CLP office here on Tuesday along with Government Whip E. Anil and MLC Radhakrishna, Ponguleti said that the Opposition leaders, particularly Chandrababu Naidu was criticizing Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s ‘Indiramma Bata’ program which was successful in East Godavari district. He said that the government was implementing the welfare schemes without any disturbance. He said that he was ready to explain the details to Chandrababu or some body else from the TDP in an ‘open debate’. He advised Chandrababu, who was holding two posts to give at least one to the BCs. He said that the Congress had given chance to Ashok Gehlat, a BC, and Ommen Chandy (a Minority) as chief ministers of the Rajasthan and Kerala respectively.
Asked whether the Kiran Kumar Reddy government was trying to change former chief minister Dr YSR’s schemes, Ponguleti said that Dr YSR had never said that the schemes introduced by him were of his own, but the YSRCP was indulging in negative campaigning that the schemes were not being implemented properly. He said that it was not correct to the YSRCP leaders to say that several schemes were halted by showing one or two 108 vehicles were in the garage for repairs.
Asked why the Congress was not implementing the programs being implemented by the Andhra Pradesh government in other Party-ruled States, Ponguleti said that implementation and introduction of schemes depended on local conditions.. “For example, some schemes being implemented in Rajasthan were not being implemented in Andhra Pradesh”, he said, adding that some political parties were hatching a conspiracy to blame the Kiran Kumar Reddy government.
Replying to another question, Ponguleti said that the Kiran Kumar Reddy government was trying to overcome the power crisis in the State. He also requested the Chief Minister to see that the poor need not be burdened with higher power charges.
He also demanded that the Chief Minister order a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations against Film Nagar Co-operative Housing Society, which was formed in 1980 for allotment of house sites to indigent artists. He also said that he would submit a detailed memorandum with regard to Film Nagar Cooperative Housing Society to the Chief Minister. (NSS)