Jana Sena Political Affairs Committee chairman Nadendla Manohar on Thursday said that the Andhra Pradesh government had spent Rs 680 crore so far on the advisors. He said that the government had spent Rs 140 crore alone on chief advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, in the last five years.

Speaking to the media persons at the party office in Mangalagiri, Manohar said that the court had questioned the strategy followed to appoint an advisor. The court also wondered why the government had appointed so many advisors. The court had sought a detailed report from the government on the appointment of the advisors, Manohar said.

He blamed the State government for having so many advisors at a time when the state financial position was so bad and deteriorating. He said that the government had over 80 to 90 advisors and every department has one advisor.

He said that the state government had submitted a report to the court in March 2023 stating that it would be having a new policy on the advisors. He wanted to know whether the government had come up with a new policy as told the court. He wanted the government to make the new policy public as people are also interested in knowing it.

He wanted chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to make a statement in the budget session of the Assembly why the government needed so many advisors. He asked the chief minister to make a statement as the people want to know the need for the government to have so many advisors.

Referring to the Union budget, Manohar welcomed the budget and said that it was the welfare budget presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitaraman. He said that the government was giving free ration to 81 crore people across the country. This was not an easy task, he said and welcomed the Central government for giving free ration to the people.

He also complimented the government for initiating steps to promote tourism in the country. The tourist places and the historical places in the country would get a facelift with the new scheme, he said. He also thanked the government for the plans to extend the metro rail project to other major cities in the country. He said that the metro rail project would give a new facelift for many cities in the country.