VIJAYAWADA: Admitting that the debt burden on the State has increased because of the government’s schemes, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister Botcha Satynarayana, however, said that every paisa of the loans were used for the welfare and development of the poor unlike during the Chandrababu Naidu regime when loans were borrowed only to be misused. He also alleged that Naidu used Amaravati as an ATM for looting money through insider trading and questioned why the Opposition leader was against making Vizag the executive capital as part of decentralised governance and development.

The minister lashed out at the TDP chief in a press meet in Vizianagaram on Wednesday after the latter criticised the YSRC government earlier in the day. Botcha explained various initiatives taken up by the YSRC government even after inheriting huge debt because of the borrowings done by the Naidu regime. “It is true that the debt has further increased, but every paisa is being used for the welfare and development of the poor in the State. We didn’t use the funds for corruption unlike the previous government, which had middlemen in the name of Janmabhoomi committees to roll out welfare schemes,” he said, adding that the government was going ahead with welfare of all sectors in a planned manner.

Botcha also alleged that Naidu has nothing to talk about except Amaravati and Polavaram. “Naidu still wonders why he has lost the elections and doesn’t seem to have realised that rampant corruption and protecting his aides’ interests led to his defeat. He used Amaravati as an ATM to loot the money. The action plan said Amaravati needed `1.09 lakh crore and it would increase to `4-5 lakh crore by the time of completion. Should we keep all our resources in one location and not develop the other districts? Why does he have an issue if the government wants to make Visakhapatnam as the executive capital for decentralised development?” he sought to know.