Privatization Warning
- Former Chief Minister YS Jagan warned that people who take over government medical colleges under the PPP model could face legal action within two months of his party returning to power. He also said 1.04 crore people signed a petition organized by the YSRCP against privatization of those colleges.
- On Thursday, Jagan, accompanied by senior party leaders, reached Lok Bhavan and called on Governor Abdul Nazeer. Copies of the collected signatures, brought in several vehicles, were scrutinised by the officials at Governor's office. Later, addressing party MPs, MLCs, MLAs, and district presidents at both the Lok Bhavan and his camp office, Jagan said:
Privatization of Allegations
- He claimed CM Chandrababu Naidu allowed a scam of gargantuan proportion by just handing over the government medical colleges to private parties. Government intends to pay rupees 60 crore per year and Rupees 120 crore for two years as salaries in each college and for ten colleges, it will be Rupees 1,200 crore.
- He added that the government is misleading people by stating that the colleges would remain under government control. Jagan said completing 10 colleges independently would cost about Rs. 5,000 crore over five years. He asked whether a state which presented over Rs. 2.50 lakh crore as annual budget could not spend Rs. 1,000 crore on this purpose. He said the YSRCP would complete the colleges if they come to power.
- Jagan also said the copies of the 1.04 crore signatures opposing privatization were shown to the Governor. He said their efforts would lead to positive outcomes, and he would file a court petition with these signatures.
Comments on the Building at Rushikonda and State Expenses
Reacting to the CM’s statement that a Rs. 500 crore palace could have funded two medical colleges, Jagan clarified that the Rushikonda building he constructed cost Rs. 240 crore and has emerged as a landmark in Visakhapatnam. He lashed out at Chandrababu Naidu for spending Rs. 330 crore on yoga in a single day. He also criticised the CM for attributing poor performance to district collectors. The government would be presenting its third budget in three months, and all this while, the public systems weakened with progress being dismal.
