Economic Destruction in the State Over the Last Five Years: Power Minister Gottipati Ravikumar

DECCAN FREEDOM NEWS 

AMARAVATI

Power Minister Gottipati Ravikumar has criticized the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leadership, particularly Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, for leading the state into financial ruin. Speaking at a grievance meeting held at the NTR Bhavan, the headquarters of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Amaravati on Wednesday, the Minister accused the state government of corruption, mismanagement, and using state resources for personal gain.

Ravikumar stated that over the past five years, the state has experienced severe economic destruction, and that the ruling YSRCP government, under Jagan Reddy, has used the power for personal and political gains. He claimed that Jagan Reddy’s family has allegedly siphoned off Rs. 8 lakh crore under the guise of government power, accusing them of wasteful spending, especially on personal luxuries.

He specifically condemned the misuse of public funds, highlighting that the state government had wasted Rs. 19,871 crore of public money on Jagan’s extravagance and unproductive expenditures, including media promotions like the Sakshi newspaper, which received a massive Rs. 1,600 crore from taxpayers’ money. He even mocked the expense of Jagan’s personal whims, including the alleged cost of an egg puff at Rs. 3 crore.

Ravikumar also pointed out that Jagan’s government had accumulated debts exceeding Rs. 10 lakh crore, leading the state to the brink of bankruptcy. He stressed that the previous TDP-led government, under N. Chandrababu Naidu, had managed to pay off Rs. 22,000 crore in dues for schemes like Aarogyasri and crop loan reimbursement, which the YSRCP government had failed to clear.

The Minister further criticized Jagan’s handling of the state’s irrigation projects, noting that contractors were owed Rs. 19,000 crore, a situation that has severely impacted ongoing irrigation projects and caused losses to farmers.

In conclusion, Ravikumar accused the YSRCP government of turning the state into a financial disaster, leaving it struggling with mounting debts and unfinished projects. He called on the people of the state to recognize the mismanagement and demand accountability.