Keshav lashes out at Jagan for his remarks on NDA govt.
Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav has alleged that the previous YSRCP government led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is involved in 'wine (liquor), mine (mining), land, and sand scams,' and the economic destruction caused by it is forcing the NDA government to incur debts.
Responding to the allegations made by Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday that the NDA government was involved in various scams and scandals, Mr. Keshav told the media that 'the former Chief Minister's remarks are aimed at derailing the development of the State and Amaravati, and terrorise industrialists so that they do not invest in the State.'
'Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy is trying to divert the attention of the people from the liquor scam in which he is involved,' Mr. Keshav said on the sidelines of the Mini Mahanadu held in Anantapur.
Mr. Keshav said it was highly objectionable that Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy spoke about deteriorating law and order in the State. 'He should not forget the fact that people of the State got vexed with the poor law and order situation during his term, which led to his debacle and confined his party to 11 Assembly seats,' Mr. Keshav added.
Refuting the allegations of a 'major scam in the NDA government's liquor policy,' the Finance Minister said the government was implementing the policy that had been in vogue for six to seven decades.
'Former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had implemented the same policy,' Mr. Keshav said, and added that the government had not introduced new brands such as the previous YSRCP dispensation.
With regard to the sand policy, he said the government was providing sand free of cost to the consumers. Mr. Keshav said the reverse tendering system brought by Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy had increased the cost of the Polavaram project by three times.
'Development of Visakhapatnam had come to a standstill and industrialists stopped investing in the State during Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy's term. Big companies such as Amar Raja and Jockey left the State. We are now finding it difficult to attract industries because of the policies of the previous government,' Mr. Keshav alleged.
'We are forced to go for debts to pay interest on loans availed and clear bills kept pending by the previous government,' he said.
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