What Is Your Response To Your Associate Looting Rs. 6000 Cr From Banks, Chandrababu?  

Nadimikelli, Srikakulam District: My Padayatra ended in Vizianagaram district and entered Srikakulam. Praja Sankalpa Yatra has now completed 12 districts. Vizianagaram district left me with a number of memories and unique experiences. My Padayatra reached the milestone of 3000 km. and it was here that I spent the 300th day of the Praja Sankalpa Yatra. It was here I completed a year after having set out from Idupulapaya on November 6 last year. It was while I was in this district that the conspiracy and the dirty politics and machinations behind the murder attempt on my life, were exposed after I had a providential escape.

The love of the people of this district and the unconditional affection they showered upon me outweighed all these factors. The gratitude they showed towards my father is something I shall never forget and had an abiding effect on me.

The people of this district remember my father with great reverence and gratitude for having revived the cooperative sugar factory, for bringing irrigation projects for water supply, and for ensuring that the fruits of welfare schemes and development reach all segments of society. The situation today is like that of 2003—sugar factories, jute mills and ferro alloys industries are in dire straits. People whose lives depend on them are struggling to survive. Incomplete projects reflect the negligence of the government.

I met AgriGold victims along every step of the way. A prolonged spell of deadly fevers and disease took their toll on the lives and health of people, while the rulers remained indifferent and pre-occupied with their selfish political interests. The failure of the government stared in the face everywhere in all sectors and the scene was a throwback to the situation 15 years ago.

Villagers from tribal areas in the hilly regions met me. Their homes had been destroyed in the Titli cyclone and they were forced to take shelter in the tribal ashram school which had been shut down. Incidentally, the dubious distinction of shutting down the tribal school goes to Chandrababu Naidu. Youth from different villages met me in Gurugubilli mandal. They told me that even though their village did not have a library, library tax was being collected along with property tax from them.

Usha Rani of Tulasivalasa had a sad tale to narrate. A physically challenged individual, she cannot take a step forward without the help and support of someone else. Her father is an alcoholic and his health has got affected. He is in no state to work. Her mother, a daily wage labourer, has to support five family members. She wanted to be of help to her mother and thought of seeking a loan from the SC Corporation to set up a small grocery store.

For four years now, she has been running from pillar to post seeking help from officials and ruling party leaders. This poor Dalit girl is being denied her due even though she fulfills all criteria for the loan. On the other hand, bigwigs of the ruling party, without any eligibility are duping banks to the tune of thousands of crores!

I stepped into Srikakulam district today. Veeraghattam has a special significance for me because it was here that my father set foot fifteen years ago, and my younger sister Sharmila came here five years ago. I was overwhelmed by the love and affection the people of Srikakulam showered on me.

I have a question for the chief minister—poor DWCRA women, who have been let down by your false promises, are being dragged to courts for no fault of theirs. Your close associate, on the other hand, who is seen as your proxy by everybody, whom you made a Union minister, has cheated banks to the tune of Rs. 6000 crores. What do you have to say to this?