CPI condemns parties opposing welfare schemes to poor

Visakhapatnam: State secretary of CPI, K. Ramakrishna, strongly condemned the political parties, particularly the BJP,which launched a campaign against the social welfare schemes for the poor.

Talking to the media in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, Ramakrishna said the campaign began following a petition filed by BJP leader Ashwini Kumar in the Supreme Court. He said the BJP, which has been pampering private entities, never thought of improving the lot of the poor. During the party’s eight-year rule, Rs 10 lakh crore worth loans have been waived.

“If concerned over the tax payers’ money, why Ashwini Kuimar did not file case against the huge loan waivers and farmers suicides,” Ramakrishna asked.

Taking on the YSRC government, Ramakrishna said Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy drove the state into a financial mess. The debts at the time of bifurcation of the state were Rs 96,000 crore and now it stood at Rs 8.9 lakh crore.

“By the time the YSRC completes its term, the debt would touch a million crore,’’ Ramakrishna said and added that the government was allocating Rs 50,000 crore in the budget towards repayment of the loans. This is not enough even to pay the interest towards the loan, he added.

The CPI leader said Kadapa Steel Plant has been shelved and the government was felicitating privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. The government also gave away Gangavaram and Krishnapatnam Ports to Adani Group.