Tadepalli (Andhra Pradesh) [India], November 13 (ANI): YSRCP spokesperson Putta Sivashankar on Friday slammed the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu-led coalition government for misleading people with extravagant investment summits and publicity campaigns while Andhra Pradesh's economy continues to deteriorate.
Addressing the media at the YSRCP Central Office, Sivashankar said the government and its supportive media were projecting imaginary development to divert attention from unfulfilled election promises. He cited CAG and APERC figures, highlighting declining electricity consumption, stagnant tax revenues and rising unemployment as evidence of economic distress.
According to APERC figures, electricity sales through DISCOMs declined from 71,722 million units in 2023–24 to 70,885 million units in 2025–26. Electricity dispatch also fell from 79,758 million units to 78,546 million units, a reduction of 1,212 million units. He questioned how electricity demand could decline if new industries were genuinely coming up and economic activity was expanding.
Citing CAG data, he said the state's own tax revenue increased marginally from Rs. 85,922.36 crore in 2023–24 to Rs. 86,552 crore in 2025–26, reflecting negligible growth against the expected annual rate of 10–12%.
Sivashankar said Andhra Pradesh's unemployment ranking deteriorated from fourth to third nationally between the first two quarters of 2026–27. Challenging the government's claims of 20 lakh jobs, he demanded village-wise employment records, PF and ESI contributions, and proof of even 20,000 new jobs.
He described investment summits and foreign roadshows as diversionary publicity exercises that produced announcements rather than actual investments. Questioning the massive Reliance investment claims, he asked why even a photograph of a company representative signing the MoU was unavailable.
He said slogans about growth engines, quantum technology and artificial intelligence cannot conceal the state's deteriorating economic conditions. (ANI)
Investment Summits mask Andhra Pradesh’s economic decline: YSRCP
