AP govt. following Naidu’s policy of 99-year lease in case of Amul

Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Minister Seediri Appalaraju said that former Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu had only changed the 33-year lease period to 99 years under industrial policy during his tenure, then why the ‘evil quartet’ was criticising the government over the 99-year lease period for Amul, the Minister questioned.

The `Dusta Chatusthayam’ (evil quartet) would not be able to digest even if Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy took any decision that would benefit the people of the State. A news article published in a vernacular Telugu daily about Amul on Tuesday, was the latest attempt of ‘Dushta Chatushtyam’ as part of the mudslinging against Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Minister alleged.

Speaking to reporters at the Government Circuit House here on Tuesday, Mr. Appalaraju said that the Telugu daily had written the article on the State government allowing Amul dairy company to take over the closed Vijaya dairy in Chittoor on a lease period of 99 years at the lease amount of ₹1 crore per year.

The Minister alleged that Vijaya dairy was closed for opening Heritage dairy during former chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu’s regime, but no articles were written about it by the same newspaper then, he added.

The ‘evil quartet’ wrote a series of news articles on Amul’s takeover of Vijaya dairy and telecast a series of episodes against the Jagan government’s decision, which are aimed at reopening the closed dairy factory to generate employment, the Minister said.

After Amul entered the State, a cattle farmer could get a maximum of ₹82.56 per litre for buffalo milk and ₹42.57 per litre for cow milk. He said that this was the highest price in the State.