Vijayawada, October 9:*Telugu Desam Party State President and Gajuwaka MLA Mr. Palla Srinivasa Rao on Thursday released an open letter strongly condemning what he described as the falsehoods and deliberate distortions propagated by the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy government over the implementation of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in medical education.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao asserted that the ongoing coalition government’s adoption of the PPP framework aims to expand access to quality medical education for students of Andhra Pradesh, while the Jagan administration, which had itself introduced private quota allocations, is now misleading the public to conceal its own failures.
*Jagan Government Allocated 50% Seats to Private Quota*
Citing official records, Mr. Srinivasa Rao pointed out that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government had issued G.O. Nos. 107, 108, and 133, allocating 50 per cent of seats in government medical colleges to the private quota. “This is an undeniable fact,” he said. “Now, when the coalition government seeks to operationalise the same policy transparently under the PPP mode for the benefit of students, branding it as a sell-out is nothing but an attempt to deceive the people.”
*Only 18% of Works Completed During Jagan’s Tenure*
Mr. Srinivasa Rao revealed that not even a single rupee from the State exchequer was spent on the construction of medical colleges during Jagan’s regime. The entire sum of ₹1,550 crore utilised for the purpose came from the Central Government’s funds. “In four years, only 18 per cent of the construction works were completed. Had the same inefficiency continued, it would have taken 15 years to finish the 17 colleges,” he observed.
*Coalition’s PPP Policy Saves 1,750 Seats from Being Lost*
Highlighting the benefits of the PPP model, Mr. Srinivasa Rao noted that nearly 1,750 MBBS seats were on the verge of being scrapped under the previous regime, along with the potential loss of several postgraduate seats. “Thanks to the coalition’s PPP initiative, the government quota has gained an additional 110 seats, while the private quota too will see an increase of another 110, adding up to 220 more medical seats for students,” he said.
*Government Quota and Fee Structure to Remain Unchanged*
He clarified that under the PPP framework, 50 per cent of the seats will continue under the government quota, with fees fixed by the government itself. “This decision was made solely in the interest of students and the larger public good,” he emphasised, adding that the ongoing constructions are expected to be completed within two years, ensuring early access to medical education for aspiring doctors.
*PPP Model Common Across States; Jagan’s Criticism Ignorant*
Mr. Srinivasa Rao remarked that several other states, including Karnataka, are already implementing the PPP model in medical education. He drew parallels with the Jegurupadu Power Project, constructed during Chandrababu Naidu’s tenure under the same framework, which became government property after 33 years. “The PPP approach in education, too, is designed to serve long-term public interest,” he said.
*Jagan Government Looted Public Resources*
Turning his attention to resource mismanagement, Mr. Srinivasa Rao accused the Jagan regime of selling the Gangavaram Port to private entities and attempting to hand over Visakhapatnam Steel Plant lands to corporate interests. “These acts of plunder happened under Jagan’s watch. Today, his coterie seeks to sabotage the State’s development by obstructing educational progress,” he charged.
*Fiscal Strain Due to Jagan’s Misrule*
Mr. Srinivasa Rao alleged that the present fiscal constraints faced by the coalition government are a direct outcome of corruption, misgovernance, and reckless expenditure during Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure. “If the limited funds available are fully diverted to unfinished medical college works, welfare schemes, employee salaries, and infrastructure will inevitably suffer. This chaos was engineered by Jagan himself to cripple the State’s administration,” he said.
*Vision of Chandrababu Naidu in Education and Health*
Reflecting on the long-term vision of former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Mr. Srinivasa Rao recalled that between 1995 and 2004, Mr. Naidu had established one medical college per district and one engineering college per revenue division, laying a strong foundation for higher education. “That visionary planning is why Andhra Pradesh faces no shortage of doctors today. One in every four NRIs from India happens to be a Telugu person — a testament to that foresight,” he remarked.
*Hybrid Model Ensures Balanced Growth*
Elaborating further, he said that Andhra Pradesh today sustains 18 government medical colleges and 18 private institutions, functioning in equilibrium — an outcome of the hybrid model envisioned by Mr. Naidu. “Countries like China and Vietnam embraced similar hybrid systems and became economic powerhouses, whereas rigid ideologies in Cuba and North Korea led to stagnation. These examples underline the universal success of balanced policy-making,” he added.
*Jagan’s Politicisation of the Medical Sector*
Mr. Srinivasa Rao alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy used the medical education sector not for public welfare but for political gain. “According to NITI Aayog’s reports, Andhra Pradesh ranked 4th in healthcare parameters during the 2014–19 period under Mr. Naidu’s governance, but slipped to 10th place between 2019 and 2024 under Jagan’s rule. This decline is the clearest evidence of his government’s failure,” he asserted.
*CBN as CM Established 28 Medical Colleges*
Refuting Jagan’s claim that no medical colleges were established during the TDP regimes, Mr. Srinivasa Rao clarified that a total of 28 medical colleges were founded during the tenures of N.T. Rama Rao and Chandrababu Naidu — both in undivided Andhra Pradesh and in the newly formed State. “The vision was always to build a Healthy and Happy Andhra Pradesh. The present coalition government remains firmly committed to the same goal,” he concluded
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