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Jagan lays stone for fisheries university; compares Naidu with a jilted lover
Taking a dig at Telugu Desam Party president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for saying that the 2024 assembly elections would be his last, if his party was not voted to power, Jagan said the opposition leader was speaking like a “jilted power lover who does emotional blackmailing”.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday vowed to “make the state No. 1 in the country” in terms of aquaculture and exports of aqua products in the coming years.
Addressing a meeting after laying the foundation stone of a dedicated university for aquaculture at Narasapuram in West Godavari district, the chief minister said the state had already stood at the top in the country in terms of marine exports. “If skills and knowledge related to aquaculture are being imparted to our people, it will eventually help in booming the aqua sector in future,” he said.
The proposed aquaculture university would be India’s third fisheries university after the ones in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The state government has allocated 40 acres between Saripalli and Likhithapudi villages in Narsapuram for the same.
The state has already given its nod for construction of administrative and college buildings at a cost of ₹332 crore. Under the second phase of the university project, a research institution and a marine college near Biyyaputippa village on the coast worth ₹222 crore will be set up.
“The tender process has already been completed, and we are set to begin the construction work today. It will serve to meet the shortage of manpower in the aqua sector and ensure sustainable development of aquaculture,” the CM said.
Jagan also unveiled 15 other development works worth ₹3,300 crore including a fishing harbour at Biyyaputippa at the cost of ₹429.43 crore on 150 acres, which will benefit 6,000 fishermen; a protected water supply project worth ₹1,400 crore. He also inaugurated the new building of a regional hospital and public health department among others.
Taking a dig at Telugu Desam Party president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for saying that the 2024 assembly elections would be his last, if his party was not voted to power, Jagan said the opposition leader was speaking like a “jilted power lover who does emotional blackmailing”.
“Sometimes, we see some people climb a cell phone tower and threaten to jump off. Some others threaten to put their head under a train while there are those who threaten to consume pesticide. In the same order, comes this jilted power lover Chandrababu Naidu who keeps threatening the people of the state,” he said.
He said Naidu was speaking out of frustration and desperation. “The people had cursed their fate for voting the TDP chief to power in 2014 and got rid of him in 2019 elections. His party lost every subsequent election – be it a bypoll or elections to local bodies all over the state, including Naidu’s own bastion Kuppam. He is now afraid that he might not win his own assembly seat in 2024. That is why he is blackmailing the people,” Jagan said.
