Crimes committed under the guise of politics will not be tolerated, warns Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday warned that crimes committed under the guise of politics would not be tolerated.

In reply to the discussion on Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s address in the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Naidu said the government would act tough against those attempting to disrupt peace or undermine public institutions.

He said that law and order was in disarray in the State when the NDA government assumed office, as the previous administration had failed to maintain stability and allowed disorder to prevail.

Mr. Naidu accused the YSRCP of resorting to serious financial mismanagement in the power sector during its term. He alleged that the YSRCP had left behind ₹1,22,422 crore in power dues, with electricity charges increased manifold. Reiterating that the coalition government would not raise electricity tariffs for the next three years, the Chief Minister said it had absorbed the ₹4,860-crore true-up burden.

Horticulture hub

He said, to develop Rayalaseema as a horticulture hub, an action plan of ₹1 lakh crore had been prepared. Of it, ₹30,000 crore would be spent from the government funds and ₹70,000 crore mobilised through private investment. Pointing out that the current fruit production exceeded 400 lakh MT annually, he said the aim was to increase it to 1,000 lakh MT, positioning the region as a major horticulture centre.

Mr. Naidu said aquaculture had suffered a setback under the previous regime, and announced power supply to the sector at ₹1.50 per unit. Claiming that paddy procurement payments were being made in 24 hours, he said greater focus would be on value addition for crops like coconut, cocoa, and coffee. Mr. Naidu said the government was taking steps to prevent farmer suicides, with audits of every such incident.

Referring to the upcoming final examinations, he urged students to face them without stress and emphasised that suicide was not a solution for failure in exams.

Land records

Regarding land administration, Mr. Naidu alleged that land records were disorganised during the previous regime. He said the coalition government was flooded with complaints of land disputes and it was found that lands were arbitrarily placed under Section 22-A restrictions if the owners did not comply with the unreasonable demands of the ruling party leaders. He said it took a year for his government to rectify these irregularities. He said all revenue records would be cleansed and reissued with official seal, ensuring security for every land owner.

The Chief Minister said that as part of efforts to improve infrastructure and logistics, the government had announced major reforms, including railway projects worth ₹3 lakh crore, and cited the four-lane railway track from Ichchapuram, which was expected within two years, expanding cargo and passenger capacity. The Centre also proposed extensive national highway projects, while ₹4,000 crore was being spent to improve rural road connectivity, he said, exuding confidence that under the “double engine” government, the State would deliver “triple results.”