Ganta accuses Jagan of claiming credit for TDP-era projects
Bheemili MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao on Monday accused former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of claiming credit for infrastructure projects launched during the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government. He cited the Bhogapuram greenfield airport and the Google Data Center as key examples.
Speaking at a media conference at his residence in MVP Colony, Mr. Ganta said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced the Bhogapuram airport during a visit to Vizianagaram on February 12, 2015. He added that land acquisition began on April 9 of the same year. Authorities secured approvals from the Airports Authority of India, including RPO clearance and the feasibility report, in 2015.
The government initially planned the project on 5,000 acres but later reduced it to 2,500 acres. Mr. Ganta said he oversaw land acquisition as the in-charge Minister for the then undivided Vizianagaram district. He said Mr. Jagan questioned the need for a new airport while the Visakhapatnam airport remained underutilized. He also alleged that Mr. Jagan promised farmers the return of their lands if the YSR Congress Party came to power.
Mr. Ganta blamed legal cases filed by YSRCP leaders for delays in the project. He named Bhogapuram mandal party president Uppada Suryanarayana Reddy, sarpanch Uppada Siva Reddy, Kakarlapudi Srinivasa Raju, and Datla Sridevi. He asked how Mr. Jagan could now seek credit after earlier alleging that the GMR Group was a benami of Mr. Chandrababu Naidu.
Turning to the Google Data Center, Mr. Ganta said Mr. Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone in February 2019. He displayed photographs to support his claim. He said the YSRCP government did not take up any major public utility projects and was now trying to claim ownership of TDP initiatives.
The MLA also criticised what he called excessive personal publicity. He said Mr. Jagan printed his photograph on Pattadar passbooks and contrasted them with passbooks issued by the present coalition government bearing the State emblem.