No development happening in A.P., says Kishan Reddy

The YSRCP government has done nothing except affixing its labels to the schemes sanctioned by the Central government, Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G. Kishan Reddy has alleged.

Addressing the media here on Thursday, Mr. Kishan Reddy said the Union government was particular on equitable distribution of development projects, and had been sanctioning funds and schemes in a rational manner.

Expressing displeasure over the State claiming credit for such projects and trying to hoodwink the people, he said, “There is no development happening in Andhra Pradesh, except for the schemes offered by the Centre.”

“In fact, several Central schemes sanctioned long ago have been delayed as the State government could not come up with its share of funds,” he said.

Apart from the required number of vaccine doses, the Centre had also supplied 4,500 ventilators to Andhra Pradesh when COVID-19 was at its peak, Mr. Kishan Reddy said.

On the tourism front, he said ‘Dekho Apna Desh’, a scheme to promote domestic tourism among the locals, would be launched soon.

Tributes to martyrs

Earlier, accompanied by Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy, Rajya Sabha member C.M. Ramesh, BJP State president Somu Veerraju, and general secretary S. Vishnuvardhan Reddy, the Union Minister paid tributes to the martyrs at the ‘Amar Jawan’ memorial near Kapila Theertham.

He also felicitated ex-servicemen and the family members of the deceased, and announced that the Centre would extend all help and stay committed to their welfare. He also visited a COVID-19 vaccination centre at SVIMS super-specialty hospital and enquired with its Director and Vice-Chancellor B. Vengamma about the prevailing situation.

Red sanders’ smuggling

In Tirumala, after offering prayers at the temple of Lord Venkateswara, Mr. Kishan Reddy told the media that the Centre would extend all help to the State in wiping out the menace of red sanders smuggling.

Mr. Kishan Reddy said the State government should hold deliberations with the Centre as well as the neighbouring States to check the smuggling.

“The issue is no longer confined to Andhra Pradesh. People belonging to various States as well as countries are involved in the illegal transportation of the wood,” he said.

Expressing satisfaction over the TTD’s decision to rebuild the Vakulamatha temple on the outskirts of Tirupati, Mr. Kishan Reddy said he prayed to the presiding deity to shower His blessings in bringing the economy back on track and also bestow strength on the Prime Minister to enable him to tackle the problems on the domestic and international arena.

Earlier, TTD Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy, Executive Officer K.S. Jawahar Reddy, Additional Executive Officer A.V. Dharma Reddy facilitated the Union Minister and his entourage with the darshan of the Lord and presented them the ‘laddu prasadam’.