Vijaywada: the Telugu Desam Party is gearing up for a dharna at the Kummaripalem centre to highlight the irresponsible attitude of the congress leaders.

The statements made by Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal that road widening were enough to ease the traffic congestion near Kanaka Durga temple irked the TDP members and earned such a response from them.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, TDP Vijayawada Parliamentary constituency in charge Kesineni Srinivas (Nani) and others took strong exception to the MP’s assertion that a flyover was not required near the temple. The Congress leaders are taking the people for a ride with their divergent statements on the flyover, he said. Union Minister Sarve Satyanarayana, during his visit to the city, had said that the flyover would be constructed before the end of present government’s tenure. Contrary to this, the MP stated that road widening was enough, they pointed out.

Recalling that the MP in his manifesto had promised the people that the city would be developed on a par with Venice, Nani said: “Vijayawada was competing with Hyderabad on the development front. But the city had slipped into D grade cities list due to sheer negligence and irresponsibility of the MP.”

Nani, referring to Polampalli dam, said it was unfortunate that the dam was not completed, though the works were started nine years ago. The project cost had escalated phenomenally. The project is estimated to cost Rs. 40 crores while initial estimates were a mere Rs. 5 crores. Now, the MP feels that designs of the dam were incorrect, and 9-km length bund has to be reconstructed. It was the contractors who benefited a lot. Under the garb of mobilization advances, the government filled the pockets of contractors, he said, adding the project was an egg on the face of the government. TDP Urban president K. Nagul Meera, TDP Vijayawada (West) incharge Buddha Venkanna also spoke.