PNS|Vijayawada
Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh has thrown down the gauntlet to former chief minister and YSRCP leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, demanding evidence to support allegations over land allocations to the Ursa company in Visakhapatnam.
Responding sharply to Jagan’s accusations, Lokesh said in a press release: “Jagan Mohan Reddy claims I allotted land to Ursa at Rs 1 per acre. I challenge him openly — if he can prove it, I will resign as minister. If not, he must apologise to the youth of Andhra Pradesh.”
Dismissing the charges as baseless, Lokesh clarified that 3.5 acres were allocated to Ursa in IT Park Hill-3, Visakhapatnam, at Rs 1 crore per acre, and a further 56.36 acres at Kapuluppada were given at Rs 50 lakh per acre.
“You can’t hide forever behind your mud-stained palace, YS Jagan. Prove your claims if you dare. Are you ready for the challenge?” he said, calling out Jagan for what he described as habitual deflection and misinformation.
Lokesh also criticised Jagan’s previous tenure, alleging that not a single new company had been brought into the state and that existing businesses had been pushed out.
“Now, under a people-first government, we aim to create 20 lakh jobs and attract major investments. Jagan can’t digest the fact that companies are returning and youth are finding opportunities,” Lokesh added.