Amravati, January 4 (IANS). A debate has erupted between the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the YSR Congress Party over credit after the first validation flight successfully landed at the Bhogapuram Greenfield International Airport on Sunday.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), leading the state’s ruling coalition, took credit for the Bhogapuram airport, while the opposition YSR Congress Party called Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu a ‘credit thief’.
Former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that with the successful landing of the first flight at Bhogapuram airport, Andhra Pradesh accelerates its development journey and this vision is an important milestone for Vizag.
Jagan Mohan Reddy said, “Congratulations to the GMR Group for their extraordinary efforts. During our tenure, speedy permissions, timely approvals and rehabilitation including land acquisition at a cost of approximately Rs 960 crore laid a strong foundation for steady progress. A large portion of the project was completed, which was instrumental in achieving this milestone. I also recall the efforts of Nitin Gadkari who took over the Bhogapuram Airport Bypass National Highway Project in March 2023. Approved, which connects Visakhapatnam Port to the airport.”
After this post, a war of allegations and counter-allegations broke out between the two parties. YSR Congress Party reminded that Chandrababu Naidu had laid the foundation stone of the airport hurriedly without permission just before the 2019 elections for votes.
The YSR Congress Party questioned, “Didn’t you lay the foundation stone without permission, Chandrababu? Did you acquire land for the Bhogapuram airport? Did you compensate those who lost land? Rehabilitate anyone? Construct a road? Then how can you claim credit without doing anything?”
The YSR Congress Party said that when YS Jagan Mohan Reddy became the Chief Minister in 2019, he settled all the court cases related to the airport and completed the second phase of land acquisition. Along with this, link road and flyover were constructed so that a direct route could be made from Chennai-Kolkata National Highway to the airport. YSR Congress Party said that all the permission letters were obtained during this period and on 3 May 2023, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy laid the foundation stone of Bhogapuram Airport.
In response, Chandrababu Naidu’s son and Minister of State Naralokesh hit back at the YSR Congress Party and shared video clips of Jagan Mohan Reddy protesting against the Bhogapuram airport.
TDP said that Bhogapuram airport is Chandrababu Naidu’s vision, his idea and his project. He said that people know who is shy and who lacks intelligence. The party said that no sane person would believe the false claims of the YSR Congress Party.
–IANS
AMT/DKP
