Police disallow Naidu to visit Polavaram project; TDP chief stages protest sit-in

Polavaram: TDP national president Nara Chandrababu Naidu staged a sit-in on the road after the police did not allow him to visit Polavaram project.

Unfazed by the police blockade, TDP national president, Naidu made it clear that he will visit the Polavaram project at all costs.

Addressing people during a road show at Polavaram, Chandrababu Naidu said he had told Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, that he would take oath as the chief minister only if the affected mandals of the project are merged with Andhra Pradesh.

"Only then, Prime Minister and other top leaders have decided to promulgate an Ordinance on merging these mandals with the state. This was a historic decision," he stated.

He said visiting Polavaram is nothing new as he has been going to the area every month since he was the chief minister.

Naidu asked why obstructions are being created for his visit to Polavaram now. He said the Polavaram project did not see progress after late YS Rajasekhara Reddy became chief minister. He said tenders were canceled during Kiran Kumar Reddy's regime.

Naidu said after he became the chief minister, he took all possible steps to complete the project and 75 percent of the work was executed during his tenure. "When a project is taken up, justice should be done with those who benefit and those who suffer," Naidu said.

He asked why obstructions are being created for his visit. "Why the Naxalite problem and security issue are cropping up now when there was no problem at all when I visited it 28 times," he pointed out.

Naidu said if the project is completed, the state will be free from drought. "It is my dream to see that water is supplied to the whole state through the Polavaram project. Had the TDP continued in power, the project would have been completed by now and Polavaram village would have been transformed into a big town," he stated.

TDP national president said: "This psycho Chief Minister did not heed the PPA. This is the reason why we are asking 'Idemi Kharma-Mana Rashtraniki'. Though the Centre is releasing the funds for the project, the state is not interested in completing it, he said.

Naidu called upon the people to join hands to bring down this government which is only interested in destroying the state and not allowing the project to be completed. "TDP is the only party that has a vision. In 1999 I called for Vision-2020 which turned out to be true," he maintained.

Former chief minister wanted the youth to get ready to fight for their rights including getting employment. Making it clear that registering fake cases will not deter the youth from moving further, Naidu said even the farming community is not happy since the Minimum Support Price is not being paid for the farm produce. "There are no welfare programs and no development in the State. Only the mafia is ruling the roost," he said.

Naidu demanded that justice should be done to the people displaced by the projects and that all the promises made by Jagan should be fulfilled