The opposition YSR Congress on Thursday led the protest by the flood victims of Vijayawada. The leaders wanted the state government to provide relief to the flood victims. They also asked the state government to release white paper on the flood relief work done by the state government.
Former minister and YSR Congress politburo member, Velampalli Srinivas, said that the residents of Kummaripalem, Urmilanagar and Housing Board area have not received any benefit from the state government. The residents were running from pillar to post seeking help, he said.
Srinivas said that YSR Congress chief and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had given Rs 1.50 crore for the flood victims in the state. Though Jagan Mohan Reddy had announced Rs 1 crore, he had actually spent Rs 1.50 crore, he said.
He alleged that chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had accused the YSR Congress of destroying the Prakasam Barrage with three boats. He wondered how Chandrababu Naidu could speak like that. Can three boats destroy the Prakasam Barage, he asked.
He alleged that Chandrababu Naidu had spread lies among the people about the floods. He blamed the YSR Congress for the floods and breaches to the Budameru Rivulet. He blamed the state government and chief minister for not taking any action though there was information in advance.
He took strong exception to the state government failing to have spent a few crores of rupees for the flood relief works. He wanted to know who was the contractor to supply food, water packets, water bottles, candles, matchboxes to the flood victims.
He also blamed the group of ministers for justifying the state government’s expenditure on the flood victims relief. He said that the ministers have asked the opposition party to apply to the RTI for information on the expenditure. Can the ministers ask anyone to go to the RTI? Don’t they have the information on hand, he asked.
YSR Congress NTR district unit president Devineni Avinash, former legislator and Vijayawada central constituency incharge, Malladi Vishnu, PAC member Shaik Asif, Mayor Rayana Bhagyalakshmi and others were present in the protest.
