Botsa accuses Chandrababu govt of ignoring people’s issues, steel plant concerns

Legislative Council Opposition Leader Botsa Satyanarayana has accused the coalition government led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of failing to address public concerns and allowing corruption to thrive.

Speaking to reporters at his camp office in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, Satyanarayana alleged that ministers, MLAs and other public representatives had been given a free hand to engage in irregularities. He said no action was taken even in cases involving serious corruption charges.

He questioned why the Chief Minister, despite making 16 visits to Delhi in 15 months, had not raised the issue of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant with the Prime Minister. The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), he said, would work with trade unions and like-minded groups to safeguard the plant, which he described as a symbol of the sacrifice of 32 lives and a key driver of Uttarandhra’s industrial growth.

Satyanarayana also hit out at the cancellation of pensions for 7.7 lakh disabled persons, calling it “inhumane.” He claimed many eligible beneficiaries were wrongly declared ineligible. YSRCP, he said, would submit applications to district collectors on behalf of affected pensioners and take up further action if the issue was not resolved by the end of the month.

On the steel plant, he recalled that YSRCP had earlier pushed for a resolution in the GVMC opposing privatization. However, the recent decision to privatize 32 departments of the plant raised “serious questions,” he said. Botsa demanded clarity from ruling parties before the Jana Sena’s public meeting on August 30 and reiterated that YSRCP was open to an all-party delegation to meet the Prime Minister.

He further accused the government of diverting funds meant for the steel plant towards privatization efforts and dismissed claims of large-scale job creation.

Reaffirming YSRCP’s stand on constitutional elections, Satyanarayana said the party avoids contesting posts where consensus exists, in order to “preserve the dignity” of those offices.

Legislative Council members Varudu Kalyani, Kumbha Ravi Babu and others were also present at the press meet.