Palla lashes out at YSRCP for its ‘Save Vizag’ campaign

Taking a dig at the YSR Congress Party’s `Save Vizag’ slogan in the Municipal elections, TDP AP president Palla Srinivasa Rao has criticised the previous five-year YSRCP regime for neglecting development of Visakhapatnam.

“Unable to cite any significant development works undertaken in Visakhapatnam and North Andhra when they were in power, the leaders of YSRCP are now trying to mislead the public through the ‘Save Vizag’ campaign,” he said.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao alleged that several valuable land transactions in Visakhapatnam had become controversial during the previous regime. He demanded a comprehensive inquiry into allegations surrounding Bay Park, Rushikonda IT Hill, land associated with the Lulu project, Waltair Club, Ramanaidu Studios, the MANSAS Trust, Daspalla lands and land allotments in the Sheelanagar area.

“The previous government had failed to pursue industrial projects and investment proposals intended for Visakhapatnam. The failure to take forward proposals involving companies such as Lulu and Franklin Templeton, the weakening of Fintech Valley and difficulties surrounding AMTZ had cost the State valuable opportunities,” he said.

He also criticised the previous regime for failing to achieve the expected progress on key projects, including Bhogapuram Airport, the Tribal University and the Petroleum University.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao claimed that the coalition government was pursuing a planned approach to transform Visakhapatnam into an internationally recognised city.

The TDP leader accused the YSRCP leaders of spreading misinformation about Google’s investments and data centre projects in an attempt to create doubts among the public. Attracting investments to Visakhapatnam and expanding employment opportunities for young people are vital to the State’s interests, he said.

Mr Srinivasa Rao reiterated that the coalition government’s priority was to transform Visakhapatnam into a world-class city, accelerate the growth of IT and technology sectors and secure a brighter future for North Andhra.

He thanked industrialist Anand Mahindra for bringing the scenic beauty of Gangavaram Beach to the attention of a wider global audience. He said such initiatives would help Visakhapatnam’s natural attractions gain international recognition and lend further impetus to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s vision of transforming the city into a world-class urban centre by integrating its natural assets with modern technology.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao said Visakhapatnam’s hills, coastline and rocky landscapes were among its greatest natural assets, while the city also offered considerable potential for the rapid expansion of technology-driven industries. The coalition government’s objective was to develop Visakhapatnam as a city where nature and progress went hand in hand and establish it as the ‘San Francisco of the East’, he said.