*_One Stand in Delhi, Another in the Streets:_ Jagan’s Political Theatre over PPP* *TDP State President Palla Srinivasa Rao launches a scathing attack on alleged threats and double standards*

Visakhapatnam, December 19:*Telugu Desam Party (TDP) State president and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao on Thursday came down heavily on former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for his reported remarks threatening the arrest of those who support the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, terming them a direct assault on democratic values and constitutional governance.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao said India is governed by the Constitution drafted by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, not by any individual’s whims or a “private constitution”. Any attempt to intimidate citizens for endorsing a globally accepted development model such as PPP, he argued, reflected an authoritarian mindset that had little respect for democratic dissent or institutional norms.

Pointing out that public-private collaboration is widely recognised across the world as a catalyst for infrastructure growth, he said threatening arrests for supporting PPP exposed the persistence of arrogance that the electorate had already rejected once. “Despite being taught a lesson by the people, Mr. Jagan has failed to reform, choosing instead to indulge in political theatrics,” he remarked.

The TDP leader cautioned that such rhetoric was designed to scare away potential investors at a time when the State desperately needs private capital. He recalled that several industries had exited Andhra Pradesh during the previous YSRCP regime, precisely because of policy uncertainty and hostility towards private enterprise. “Empty threats do not intimidate anyone. Those who violate the law, irrespective of who they are, will have to face legal consequences,” he asserted, adding that the people were prepared to deliver another decisive verdict in the coming elections.

Questioning the credibility of the YSRCP’s claims, Mr. Srinivasa Rao asked why Aadhaar details had not been made public if the party had indeed submitted one crore signatures to the Governor. He accused YSRCP MPs of duplicity, noting that they supported the PPP model before Parliamentary Standing Committees in Delhi while staging “manufactured protests” against it back home. This, he said, epitomised the politics of saying one thing in Delhi and another on the streets.

Clarifying misconceptions, he stressed that the PPP model does not amount to privatisation. Several States, he noted, have successfully implemented it. Medical colleges established under PPP would function in the name of government medical colleges, with ownership, administration and oversight firmly under State control. Admissions, fee structures and service standards would be regulated entirely by the government, leaving no scope for arbitrary conduct by private partners. Seventy per cent of beds, he added, would be reserved for beneficiaries of NTR Vaidya Seva and Ayushman Bharat, ensuring access to corporate-level healthcare for the poor.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao alleged that during Mr. Jagan’s tenure, only about ₹1,400 crore—entirely from Central funds—was spent in the name of medical colleges, and accused the former Chief Minister of falsely claiming an expenditure of ₹3,000 crore. He questioned why public welfare was forgotten when ₹450–500 crore was spent on the Rushikonda palace, which he described as a “white elephant” of no public utility. Citing reports from Sakshi, he demanded clarity on the discrepancy in figures and asked who had benefited from the remaining funds as commissions.

He further recalled that emergency services such as 104 and 108 were privatised under the YSRCP regime and questioned why public health did not figure as a priority when Aarogyasri dues mounted. Accusing Mr. Jagan of dismantling projects such as Amaravati, Polavaram and industrial investments initiated between 2014 and 2019, he said the former Chief Minister had no moral authority to speak of “credit theft”. Had the same attention shown to Rushikonda been extended to the Narsipatnam Medical College, it would have been completed by now, he added.

Highlighting the efficiency of the PPP model, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said medical colleges that would otherwise take three decades could be completed within two years. He questioned whether opposition to the model stemmed from fears of losing commissions to vested interests.

Under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s leadership, he said, the State has accelerated the construction of medical colleges through PPP with a clear focus on public welfare. The initiative would bring an additional 220 medical seats, including 110 under the government (convener) quota, and within two years, 2,500 MBBS seats would be available to students from Andhra Pradesh—an outcome that would have taken 15 to 20 years under the previous approach.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao concluded by noting that the PPP model enjoys the backing of the Union government, Parliamentary Standing Committees, the National Medical Commission, NITI Aayog and even judicial endorsement. In an era of soaring medical education costs, he said, the Centre itself has made it clear that PPP is no longer optional but inevitable.

                         by Sharma K.V.

                               EDITOR