Swiss Challenge Method is a Means to Dupe People, Says Arun Kumar

Vijayawada: The Swiss Challenge Method and ‘Singapore-like city’ are means of duping the people and siphone-off huge sums of money and land by the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, former MP Vundavalli Arun Kumar said.

Addressing the media here on Saturday, he said Chandrababu has a fancy for Singapore and cites it in all the development works of the new capital city of Amaravati. “However, Singapore city is not all that rosy but a tax haven for dealing with ‘unaccounted’ money. Banks and authorities in that city do not question people about the source of money and hence it is safe haven for people like Babu,” Arun Kumar said. He called on the people to do more research on Singapore to understand that Singapore does not enjoy a positive image in world economic fora as project by Babu.

Speaking about the capital city of Amaravati, he said there is no rule that a capital city should be located in the middle of the state. Citing examples of Chennai, Mumbai and Bengaluru, Arun Kumar said Chandrababu wanted to take over large swaths of land for personal gain and hence the location of Amaravati. Further, there is no need for 35,000 acres in addition to huge forest lands when the Sivaramakrishnan Committee said a mere 1,500 acres is enough for a capital city. “The entire government offices, MLA quarters and official residences in Hyderabad do not occupy more than 2,000 acres,” he pointed out.

Also, the Swiss Challenge Method itself is not wrong but the Babu version of it is misleading the people, Arun Kumar said. “It is a means to fix deals between contractors by Babu himself,” he said. On the occasion, Arun Kumar released a booklet listing out the alleged misdeeds and dubious means adopted by the TDP government to takeover private land and also the construction of Amaravati. “A hard copy of this booklet will be sent to the Chief Minister and also distributed among the TDP cadre,” he concluded.