Lokesh dares Jagan to open debate on DSC

Ongole: Telugu Desam Party working president and IT Minister Nara Lokesh has challenged opposition YSRCP leader and former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to fix a “date, time, and place” for an open debate on the Mega DSC recruitment process, concerning which the YSCRP had levelled allegations.

At a Telugu Desam Party workers' coordination meeting of the Ongole Assembly constituency held here on Friday, he advised Jagan to choose either Pulivendula or Tadepalli as the venue and said he was ready to come over there. He sought to know how a person “who does not know the difference between APPSC and DSC” could lecture others.

Lokesh told workers that TDP would win the upcoming local body elections with two per cent more votes than what the party secured in the 2024 general elections if they worked together. He asked workers to move among people, instead of milling around leaders. He assured them that he would take the responsibility for giving party positions to deserving workers.

He said in the coming budget, funds would be allocated for the development of the Pothuraju Canal and the Nallakaaluva in Ongole.

Lokesh said the state, in order to get back on track, needs TDP to win at least three more consecutive elections. He said 94 paise out of every rupee was going towards salaries alone.

Nara Lokesh inaugurated works for the Rs 424 crore drinking water supply project under AMRUT 2.0 at Rangarayudu Cheruvu here on Friday.

MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, MLA Damacharla Janardhan Rao, MLA Vijay Kumar and local elected representatives attended the programme.

20 statues unveiled

Earlier in the day, Minister Lokesh unveiled the statues of 20 eminent personalities from Ongole at the KIMS Hospital flyover junction in Ongole. He also unveiled a statue of the Ongole Bull, a world-famous breed of cattle and a symbol of Prakasam district's culture and livestock heritage, at the same location.

The 20 personalities whose statues were unveiled included freedom fighters Ronda Narapa Reddy and Darsi Chenchaiah, scholar and journalist Neelam Raja Venkata Seshaiah, the first Collector of Prakasam district Katti Chandrayya, physician and philanthropist Dr BVL Narayana, linguist Bhadriraju Krishnamurthy, actress and filmmaker Bhanumathi Ramakrishna, actress Garikipati Varalakshmi, director T Krishna, Padma Shri Nadaswara maestro Shaik Chinamoulana Saheb and social reformer and poet Kalekuri Prasad, among others.

Speaking at the event, Lokesh said that the statues were installed to introduce the contributions of these personalities to the present and future generations. He expressed his hope that having all the statues at one busy public location would bring the lives, sacrifices, and ideals of these eminent persons closer to the people.

Lokesh also laid the foundation stone for the Radisson-Ongole 5-star hotel near Ongole at Chadalavada village in Naguluppalapadu mandal on Friday. Ravisankar Group and Raviprriya Hospitalities LLP are jointly building the hotel at a cost of Rs 100 crore. It will be the first 5-star hotel in and around Ongole.

Ravisankar Group chairman Kandi Ravisankar said that the hotel will have 151 rooms, a multi-cuisine restaurant, a premium bar, a lounge, a swimming pool, a spa and a fitness centre. It will also have banquet halls and conference rooms spread over 2,100 square metres.

District Collector P Raja Babu, Minister Dr Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, Ongole MLA Damacharla Janardhana Rao, Santhanuthalapadu MLA BN Vijay Kumar, and others attended the programme.

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