Rajahmundry: Criticising Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for upward revision of cost estimates and for causing an inordinate delay in the execution of th Polavaram irrigation project, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the Telugu Desam supremo of using the project as an ATM to keep on withdrawing cash as and when needed.
Addressing an election meeting on the grounds of the Government Arts College here, the PM stated that the first Cabinet meeting of the BJP-led NDA government approved the merger of seven agency mandals of Khammam district of Telangana state into AP to help execute the project without facing any hurdles from TS. He said that Rs 7,000 crore was released soon after declaring the Polavaram project as a national project.
Alleging high-level corruption in its execution, the PM alleged that when completion of the Polavaram project was a question of life and death for people and farmers in AP, the ‘U-Turn Babu’, an oblique reference to Mr Naidu, was apathetic to complete it.
He called upon people to support the BJP, both in the state and also at the Centre in the ensuing polls to help complete execution of the Polavaram project in an expeditious manner.
The PM said that the Centre had enhanced minimum support price of 22 varieties of crops two-and-a-half times and added that for copra (coconut) alone, the Centre had enhanced MSP to Rs 2,200 from Rs 2,000.
He accused Mr Naidu of renaming several Central projects and claiming them to be his own and branded him ‘Sticker Babu’.
The PM stated that the BJP-led NDA was committed to safeguard the great culture and heritage of AP. He alleged that ‘U-Turn Babu’ was more concerned about promote his family firm ‘Heritage’ and his family interests.
The PM accused the TD of resorting to theft of data and alleged that the party’s Seva Mitras were resorting to lifting the data of people with no ‘service’ and no ‘friendship.’
He claimed credit for bringing in a mega tax reform by enhancing the Income Tax limit to Rs 5 lakh and said that no government in the country had ever dared to carry out such tax reform before him.
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