The sand and gravel mafia is ruling the roost in the State and the Jagan Mohan Reddy Government is only interested in collecting taxes in various ways while the industrial sector is impacted the most with the faulty policies of the ruling dispensation, observed general secretary of the TDP, Nara Lokesh on Monday.

During the ongoing pada yatra ‘Yuva Galam’, the Communist Party of India (CPI) Nagari Assembly segment incharge, Kodandaiah, met Lokesh at China Raja Kuppam and explained to him that the locals are suffering a lot due to the sand and gravel mafia. Also, the lands of the SCs and STs are being forcibly acquired by the Andhra Pradesh Industrial and Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) in the name of development, the CPI leader told Lokesh.

Kodandaiah wanted Lokesh to take the issues of establishing a university and a teaching hospital at Chittor. He also made an appeal to the TDP general secretary to fight for setting up industries in the district to provide employment to the local youth.

Responding to the CPI leader’s request, Lokesh said that he will make every effort to put an end to the sand and gravel mafia when the TDP forms the government. Except chasing the industries out of the State, Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy, does not have even basic knowledge about industrialisation, the TDP leader said that the problems of the Nagari Assembly segment will be resolved when the TDP forms the government again.

Earlier, at the campsite near the Sri Venkateswara Perumal College of Engineering, Lokesh had selfies with the locals. He also addressed the locals on various issues and promised to initiate necessary measures to resolve their problems once the TDP is back in power.