Even 108 Services Are Not Spared By Chandrababu
Sivakodu, East Godavari District: Antaraveedi, one of the sacred places and a point where the Godavari flows into the sea, after originating in Nasik, is a part of Rajolu constituency. It is in this celebrated pilgrim centre that one finds the famous Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple. “Your father, during his tenure, transformed this temple in an unprecedented manner, sanctioning crores of rupees,“ said the villagers here. “By establishing Dindi Resorts, he turned Konaseema into a major national hub of tourism,“ they recalled. Their words filled me with pride, as they narrated my father’s close association with this region.
Villagers of Mori brought to my notice yet another act of deception by Chandrababu Naidu. On December 29, 2016 the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister declared Mori as a smart village. He also proclaimed proudly that it was at his behest that Prime Minister Modi had introduced demonetisation and that Mori would be the first village in AP, which would have cashless, digital transactions. The entire state would be connected through fibre grid, that the village would be rid of open defecation, that local villagers would get employment opportunities in major corporate entities. As it turned out, none of these promises came true and remained only in graphic presentations made by the chief minister. Naturally, villagers felt betrayed by Chandrababu Naidu who made such tall claims none of which materialised.
Villagers of Podalada expressed their anguish saying that they were denied drinking water though the mighty Godavari flowed from these places. They held the oil companies and Aqua farming responsible for this and were furious with the government for neglecting the problem. They vented their spleen at the TDP government saying that it denied them basic facilities and for the perpetuation of backwardness in the region. “Can’t the government address the burning problem of unemployment?“, they asked.
“The constant threat of impending gas leakage hovers over our lives like a dark cloud,“ said villagers of Toorpupalem and Gollapalem. They spoke of the Chandrababu Naidu government in scathing terms for turning a blind eye to their condition. They recalled the case of victims of the gas leak disaster in Nagaram village and their subsequent neglect by the TDP government. Not one of the promises made to villagers of Nagaram have been fulfilled, they pointed out. They shuddered with fear as they said, “what if such a tragedy were to take place in our village?“
Villagers in these parts told me that the 108 service was in a comatose state. The staff of 108 Service from East Godavari told me that they did not have a single ambulance in Rajolu constituency. This itself is a reflection of the pathetic state of affairs. They recollected that while more than 300 medicines were available during my father’s period, not even 90 were there now. Essential medicines and oxygen were among important items which were not available, they pointed out. As for the condition of the staff, they said that it was beyond description. They have no job security and the meagre salaries which they were paid were subject to cuts, they lamented. If they objected to anything they were persecuted, they said. They were at the receiving end of people’s anger for no fault of theirs, they deplored. “We are clinging to our jobs in the hope that Rajanna Rajyam would return.” The neglected state of 108 service has been revealed all through my Padayatra everywhere. There are several constituencies which shockingly, do not have a single ambulance and Rajolu is one of them.
I have a question for the chief minister—many ambulance vehicles across the state have been cast aside. What is the motive behind your Core Dashboard showing all ambulance vehicles to be operating smoothly? Are payments being made for ones which are not running? Is there no exemption from your pervasive corruption to 108 services which have a direct bearing on the lives of the poor?
