KAKINADA: The Telugu Desam national general secretary Nara Lokesh has promised the people that his party would reduce property taxes by half if it is voted to power in the municipal elections.
Lokesh undertook election campaigns at Gollaprolu Nagara Panchayat and Pithapuram municipality on Sunday. Notably, Lokesh, former Pithapuram MLA SVSN Varma and the TD Kakinada district president Jyothla Naveen Kumar have not worn masks during the election campaign. Many other TD leaders were also seen without masks.
The TD general secretary said the party would usher in real development and improve the living standards of the people. He criticised YSRC by saying that after assuming charge as CM, Jagan hiked prices of power, petrol and other items of daily use and burdened the people. There was massive disruption to people’s lives during Jagan’s 21 months’ rule, Lokesh alleged.
Lokesh said if Jagan really wanted to help the people, he could have given petrol at Rs.65 per litre instead of Rs.100 now. All the welfare schemes introduced by Jagan were bogus, he said, and added that Jagan was giving benefits via the welfare schemes on the one hand and he was robbing people three times more by other means.
He said the government distributed Rs.10,000 each to auto and taxi drivers in the name of the Vahana Mitra scheme, but the government grabbed more than double or triple the amount in the name of fines. “The government cancelled ration cards, pensions and other benefits of the people on one or the other pretext and the village volunteers were made use of for the benefit of YSRC.”
Lokesh said ration cards, pensions and other benefits would be restored to the beneficiaries after the Telugu Desam returned to power. “The YSRC leaders are threatening people that they would cancel the benefits of welfare schemes unless they voted for the party. People need not worry about such propaganda as nobody would cancel the benefits of the poor and the TD would take care of such matters.”
Speaking about the YSRC MLA Pendem Dorababu of Pithapuram constituency, Lokesh said the MLA bring in any development except selling soil. “There are no roads, drainages and other civic facilities in Pithapuram for the past 21 months. The TD government had sanctioned the funds for drinking water and irrigation projects to the constituency. The MLA could not draw the funds and complete the works and he proved his inefficiency,” he said.
Former Pithapuram MLA SVSN Varma, the TD Kakinada district president Jyothla Naveen Kumar and others were present.
