In what could be a major headache to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers (APNGOs) have warned the CM of dire consequences if an inordinate delay in revealing details of the implementation of the Pay Revision Commission’s (PRC) recommendations and lack of information regarding the 71-point charter of demands forced the employees to begin a month-long struggle to get justice from the government.

Already the NGOs have started sporting black badges and are attending the work at all the government offices across the state, as per the call given by APNGOs president Bandi Srinivasa Rao. He had urged all the staff to register their protest between Tuesday and Thursday by wearing black badges at their respective workplaces.

The employees are dissatisfied with Jagan when it comes to the way the state government is giving out their salaries, pensions and other benefits. The AP government hasn’t even put the PRC scheme into effect so far, further increasing the ire of the employees. Irked by this negligent attitude of the CM towards NGOs, Srinivasa Rao has clearly warned Jagan that they would directly go against him. Speaking logically, he said, “There are 13 Lakh government employees in the state, which means that there are 13 Lakh votes in the form of these employees. He also said that each employee can bring at least 4-5 additional votes, which sums up to around 60 Lakh additional votes.”

Srinivasa Rao has directly warned Jagan and questioned him if the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) can win the next elections without the help of employees. He threatened that he would strive to defeat Jagan in the next elections if he fails to implement PRC and meet the demands of the employees. “They would then have to lose their votes, alongside the votes of others, which could result in a great loss,” he observed.

The APNGOs head said he was not like his predecessors, while one joined the government and became MLC, and other became the advisor to YSRCP government. “We are disappointed with the lack of a proper response from officials during joint staff council meetings. There is no positive reply from officials over payment of 7 DAs and clearance of applications for withdrawal of GPF and other benefits,” he added.

Polavaram: Yet another blow to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his government which had been dreaming of completing the Polavaram project by April 2022. It looks like the works will not be completed by the stipulated time and could extend inadvertently for a much longer time. Though it is not yet clear when they are likely to complete, and with third wave of Covid-10 pandemic staring at us, the delay could be very long then expected!

Earlier this year, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Rattan Lal Kataria has informed that Polavaram project will be completed by April, 2022, as per the revised schedule. Kataria said that though the Andhra Pradesh government informed that Polavaram Irrigation Project will be completed by December, 2021, in the 12th meeting of Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) held in April, 2020, a committee was constituted to study and come up with a project schedule and completion programme with proper planning duly backed with adequate resource mobilisation.

But that seems to be news from the past. Today it was made clear that the Polavaram project will get extended and will be not completed as scheduled. The Union Jal Shakti Ministry made a clear cut statement that the dam construction may miss yet another deadline. Citing technical reasons, the construction is getting delayed. “We have set a new target of April 2022 and hope to meet the deadline this time. But we faced difficulties in rehabilitation and compensation for the people. Covid-19 is also one of the reasons behind the delay,” read the written statement of the Union Jal Shakti Ministry.

Polavaram project question was shot by Teleugu Desam Party (TDP) Rajya Sabha MP Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar. In reply to this question the Union government made a statement on Polavaram dam in the Parliament today and told that it was not being completed by April 2022! This is has further disappointed the people of AP as well as Jagan government!

The Union government made it clear that funds will be allocated only for the irrigation component of the Polavaram Irrigation Project (PIP). In a written reply to YSRC MP V Viajayasai Reddy’s question on Polavaram project funding in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bisweshwar Tudu said the Advisory Committee in February 2019 had recommended Rs 55,548 crore as the second revised cost estimate of Polavaram project at the 2017-18 price level.

It is in midst of separate Telangana moment. The state was slowly heading towards turmoil but the then Chief Minister Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy seemed to have everything under control and the agitations for separate Telangana state was being mellowed down. While this was the situation, the unexpected and sudden death of YSR brought in confusion to the state governance and politics. And the man Friday for the situation was none other than Congress’ veteran Konijeti Rosaiah!

Despite stalwarts in Congress party, the top leadership thought it was apt to hand over the reins of the state to experienced and trust worthy politician K Rosaiah and the veteran leader lived up to the expectations of the party and saw through the state in the situation of turmoil and confusion.

Dr YSR, headed to Chittoor to attend a public meeting in a helicopter on September 2, 2009. The copter went missing in Nallamala forest. Immediately, Rosaiah swung into action and sat through all the process at Secretariat. Later by the end of the day, he announced through the media that the helicopter carrying YSR was missing and made an open appeal to the people to search for their beloved leader. The next day, after the wreckage of the helicopter was found near Pavuralagutta in Kurnool district, Rosaiah was sworn in as the caretaker Chief Minister.

The separate Telangana agitators intensified the stir while Rosaiah was the CM. But undeterred by the pressures, he continued in the post for a year and handed it over to Kiran Kumar Reddy. All through his term has CM; Rosaiah never had any bad remark. He proved that he was seasoned politician and a sincere Congress worker.

Apart from being the CM, Rosaiah had served as MLA, MLC and MP in his six decade long political journey. He was minister in Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy, Marru Channa Reddy and YS Rajasekhara Reddy cabinet and was at the helm of important portfolios like energy, finance and transport. A true follower of Gandhian principles, Rosaiah rose to the top as a staunch follower of Congress leader NG
Ranga.

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The veteran Congressman was born in Vemuru village of Guntur district of AP, Rosaiah completed degree from Hindu college in Guntur. He is popular for his oratory skills and was the man for the Congress to take up issues in the state assembly. In fact, it is said that the rival parties would come prepared if the debate was with Rosaiah and still they were never able to compete with the stalwart.

Despite having a long political career and held numerous positions in different cabinets, Rosaiah in popular among the people because he was not involved in any controversy till his death. Such was his track record that he was appointed as Tamil Nadu Governor by Congress led UPDA government, immediately after stepping down as Andhra Pradesh CM, and he was allowed to complete his term till 2016 by NDA government.

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