Pro-TDP media slam Rs 1 cess on fuel in Andhra Pradesh: Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kannababu

Andhra Pradesh agriculture minister Kurasala Kannababu on Saturday said that pro-Telugu Desam Party (TDP) media has slammed Rs 1 cess on fuel in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, Kannababu said, "The government has decided to impose Road development cess of Rs 1 on petrol and diesel. Pro-TDP media has slammed that decision. Similar decisions were taken during TDP regime also, but none of that media pointed it out then. The PM Narendra Modi-led central government has increased petrol and diesel rates many times. But that media never objected to that. But they are now criticising Jagan government."

"The roads in our state are badly damaged. There is need of reconstruction of roads. In the COVID scenario, the financial position is badly affected. So we took the decision of this nominal cess for developing the infrastructure," he said.

He said that recently the High Court has issued gag orders in a case in which high profile persons are accused. The High court has restricted media not to publicise even the FIR. The court has ordered not even to investigate the case. No such orders were issued during the cases of Ranjan Gogoi and Deepak Misra.

"The AP HC even ordered not to go ahead with the cabinet sub-committee. How can the court interfere in legislative system? How can the court order not to constitute cabinet sub-committee? That is the privilege of legislature," he added.

"HC further commented that the government has no right to review the previous government's deeds. Were there no incidents of a government changing previous government's decisions?" he asked.

The minister said that they have been telling from the beginning that there are scams in Amaravati capital.

"When a previous government commits mistakes, cannot the successor government correct those mistakes? How can courts interfere in such legislative decisions? We have utmost respect for the judiciary. But the recent developments are very surprising," he said.

After gas leak incident in Visakhapatnam, the CM has ordered shifting of Styrene gas unit from the city, keeping public health in mind. Then everybody appreciated that decision. But after sometime, I saw some courts questioning why the gas unit was shifted.

Some political parties are filing cases on our government on the name of Public Interest Litigation. How can such PILs be entertained? he asked further.

He said that every government has the right to review its predecessor's misdeeds.

( With inputs from ANI )