YS Sharmila, a Congress leader in Andhra Pradesh has strongly criticized the ruling alliance of TDP-Janasena-BJP headed by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan accusing him of failing to fulfill some promises made to the people.
Sharmila targeted the new “Vision 2047” document by Chandrababu Naidu as an effort to give false hope to the people of Andhra Pradesh. According to her, it is not the vague long-term visions that the state needs but the immediate fulfillment of promises made during the bifurcation process. She stressed that the growth of Andhra Pradesh depends on the central government honoring its long-overdue commitments, which continue to be ignored.
Sharmila pointed out that over the last ten years, promises such as special status for Andhra Pradesh, national status for the Polavaram project, and financial aid for the new capital have not been met. She said that though the current government has failed to do something meaningful with these key promises, the state is in neglect.
Reminding the public of the assurances given by the UPA government at the time of bifurcation, Sharmila highlighted that promises such as granting special status, national project status for Polavaram, and financial assistance for the capital city were supposed to be honored. Furthermore, she pointed out the commitments made to support backward districts with special economic packages and the construction of critical infrastructure as detailed in Schedule 13 of the Bifurcation Act.
Sharmila also listed several crucial projects that remain unfulfilled, including the establishment of Kadapa Steel, Duggirajupatnam Port, the creation of a railway zone, a petroleum university, and the Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor. Additionally, she pointed out the failure to build metro rails in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam or introduce a rapid rail link between Hyderabad and Vijayawada. She expressed frustration that these commitments have not been met, leaving the state without the promised benefits.
She argued that had special status been granted earlier, Andhra Pradesh could have attracted new industries, provided tax exemptions, and created thousands of jobs. The completion of the Polavaram project, she stated, would have significantly boosted agriculture, while the metro rail projects would have transformed urban development across key cities.