Amaravati farmers ignored as Andhra govt pushes 2nd phase of land pooling without fixing first

Tadepalli (Andhra Pradesh) [India], January 10 (ANI): The YSR Congress Party State Coordinator Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy on Friday raised serious questions over the Chandrababu Naidu government's handling of the Amaravati capital project, accusing it of ignoring farmers' unresolved problems while hurriedly moving towards the second phase of land pooling.
Speaking to the media, Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy said that former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had raised legitimate questions about Amaravati that the ruling government has been unable to answer.
He noted that nearly 50,000 acres were taken from farmers in the first phase, yet basic development has not yet been completed. There are no proper roads, no connectivity, and no plot development, leaving farmers in distress.
Sajjala said Jagan questioned whether it was not true that returnable plots were allotted in tanks and low-lying areas, making them unsellable. He asked who would buy such plots if they were not developed.
He said Chandrababu Naidu's problems in Amaravati are directly affecting farmers' lives, while the government is making unrealistic promises to second-phase farmers without resolving first-phase issues.
He further stated that Chandrababu Naidu spent only around Rs. 5,000 crore on Amaravati over the past five years, while the first-phase development alone would require nearly Rs. 1 lakh crore. At the current pace, he asked when the capital project would be completed.
Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy also alleged that Amaravati has turned into a hub of scams. He said the government has already borrowed over Rs 40,000 crore in Amaravati's name but is not spending it on priority works. He questioned the need for an oversized Secretariat, cited inflated construction costs, and alleged that contracts were driven by commissions.
Chandrababu Naidu has turned Amaravati into the "mother of all scams," Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy said, while making it clear that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has never been opposed to the Amaravati region.
He said Jagan wanted development in Amaravati and had demonstrated this commitment even before the 2019 elections by building his house and the party office in the area. After Amaravati was declared the capital, Jagan continued to reside there.
In contrast, Chandrababu Naidu has not built a house in Amaravati to date and is staying in an illegal residence, which has become another scandal. Sajjala said the public can easily judge which of the two leaders has acted with honesty and integrity. (ANI)