Sharmila slams CM Jagan for failing to make Kadapa steel plant a reality

Sharmila slams CM Jagan for failing to make Kadapa steel plant a reality. The YSRCP government has miserably failed on all fronts, says the APCC chief and cites as examples the promises to achieve SCS and implement prohibition in phases. Ms. Sharmila, while referring to the comments reportedly made by Y.S. Vimala Reddy, sister of former slain MP Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, says she is only referring to the records made available through a proper CBI investigation and not accusing anyone based on rumours.

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y.S. Sharmila on April 13 (Saturday) slammed the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) for its failure to achieve the promised Kadapa steel factory.

Addressing an election meeting at Jammalamadugu in Kadapa district, Ms. Sharmila said she had fond memories of this place, as not only she and her brother Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, but also her father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy were born here.

“Jammalamadugu is a backward area full of rocks and mounds. YSR was determined to build the proposed Kadapa steel factory in the area though the project was to cost around ₹30,000 crore, as it would generate employment opportunities for more than one lakh local people,” she said, adding that the project would have been operational by now had YSR been alive today.

She said the successive governments had confined the project to performing ‘bhumi puja’. After the ‘bhumi puja’ performed for the project by YSR, his successor and TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu repeated the act when his party came to power. Later, under the YSRCP rule, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy performed the ritual twice on two separate occasions. Not a single brick was laid till date, she said.

Ms. Sharmila criticised Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy for not raising the steel plant issue even once in Parliament. She said people of the State had pinned lot of hopes on Mr. Jagan, who, as an Opposition leader, made many promises, but did not fulfil any of them after coming to power.

“He had sharply criticised the TDP government for not being able to achieve Special Category Status (SCS). He had then mooted en masse resignation of MPs from all parties in the State to build pressure on the BJP government at the Centre. But after coming to power and with a substantial majority in Parliament, he did nothing to ensure justice to the people of Andhra Pradesh,” she said.

Ms. Sharmila said, unlike under YSR rule when farmers were a happy lot, now they were denied subsidy even on drip irrigation technology.