Chinta Mohan accuses YSRCP govt. of adopting anti-Dalit policies

He opposes move to hand over O&M of Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Station to private players

Senior Congress leader P. Chinta Mohan on Thursday accused the YSRCP government of adopting ‘anti-Dalit’ policies and promised preferential allotment of mines to SC, ST, OBC entrepreneurs if the Congress came to power in the State.

“No entrepreneurs from the downtrodden sections have been allotted a single granite mine at Chimakurthy and other places. The existing mining leases will be cancelled and social justice ensured in the allotment of mines if the Congress is voted to power in the State,” the former Union Minister told the media here on Thursday.

He said it was unfortunate that the YSRCP government did not organise the centenary celebrations of noted freedom fighter and former Chief Minister Damodaram Sanjeeviah in a befitting manner. Dalit students were getting distanced from education in the absence of scholarships, he said and set a deadline of April 14, the birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar, for the government for clearing all scholarship dues.

The Congress leader opposed the government’s decision of handing over the operation and maintenance of Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Station at Nelaturu in Nellore district to private players. “ The decision was taken against the interests of the working class. Energy Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy must give an explanation on the reasons behind the decision,” he said.

Picking holes in the energy policy, he said free power introduced by the then Congress regime would be scrapped sooner than later going by the way fixing of meters for farm pump-sets taken up in the State at the behest of the BJP-led Centre.

Mr. Chinta Mohan backed the stir by a section of the government employees for a hike in Pay Revision Commission (PRC) fitment and said the employees deserved a pay hike periodically to compensate for the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities.