Relief works for photo-op: YSRCP

Tirupati: YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) general secretary Bhumana Karunakar Reddy said that the government miserably failed in taking relief works in the Titli cyclone-hit areas in Srikaklulam district leaving the affected into lurch. 

Speaking to the media here on Friday, Karunakar said that people in the affected areas seething with anger at the government apathy and came on the streets protesting but Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu without any shy or shame claims that they are happy with the relief works. 

The government even put up hoardings in Amaravati distorting the protest videos to project people hailing it, he said adding that it amply reveals that that Chandrababu will go to any extent to derive publicity and will not mind using even the calamities for his publicity.

He criticised Naidu for threatening the protesters and dubbing them as YSRCP activists deliberately to dilute the severity of the people’s sufferings in the cyclone devasted areas. 

Saying that the government is yet to complete the detailed assessment of the crop damage and destruction brought by the deadly cyclone delaying relief and rehabilitation, the YSRCP leader said that the day is not far away for the people coming on the roads and attack if the government did not act immediately to take up relief measures on war foot basis. 

In this connection, Reddy said that Naidu camping in the affected areas derailed the administration with the officials concentrating on him adding more to the woes of affected. It was the YSRCP leaders including him who at the behest of party chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy reached the affected areas before the authorities to stand with the people, he said slamming the government for the delay in relief works. 

The relief amount for loss of horticulture crops like coconut is too less, he said demanding to hike the compensation to crop loss. He did not spare the BJP-led NDA government from his blistering attack for not coming to the rescue of cyclone affected in the state and demanded to provide relief amount without waiting for the state government report on the cyclone damage to accelerate relief works and provide succour to the people.