Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy today lashed out at the TDP-led coalition government, accusing it of “selling” off the ten proposed medical colleges and hospitals, conceived during his tenure, to cronies.
Reddy was on a visit to Visakhapatnam and Narsipatnam, and his tour garnered huge excitement among YSRCP supporters who spilled over onto the streets, braving heavy rain.
The TDP has slammed the YSRCP leader who decided to visit the under-construction medical college in Narsipatnam after it was stalled midway. The coalition government under chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu decided to go for a public-private-partnership (PPP) model to develop the ten medical colleges, sanctioned during the YSRCP’s regime.
YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy slammed chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for going for a PPP model to develop the ten medical colleges, accusing him of selling them off. Reddy, as chief minister, had sanctioned 17 medical colleges and hospitals to ensure one in each district after the pandemic.
Speaking at Narsipatnam, he pointed out, “There is a dual purpose – firstly, students will be pursuing medical education at affordable rates and secondly, treatment will be made available to the poor patients free of cost and private exploitation will come to a halt. Yet Chandrababu Naidu takes one step forward, pushing it into scams, giving it to private people of his choice and trying to sell these government colleges.” Reddy said he would collect one crore signatures against the privatization of the medical colleges and submit them to the governor. He will also conduct public rallies against the state government’s move till 24 November.
During his tour, the workers from VSP met him and submitted a petition, outlining their concerns over privatization, demanding merger with Steel Authority of India (SAIL). Reddy assured them of YSRCP’s support to their causes. Meanwhile, TDP organised protests against Reddy as several Dalit organisations put up posters against him, accusing of causing the death of a Dalit doctor during his tenure as chief minister.