Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday launched a scathing attack on opposition, terming them as “forces acting like demons” to obstruct Andhra Pradesh’s development, asserting that no amount of resistance would derail the State’s progress. Addressing a public meeting after participating in the Swachhandhra-Swarnandhra programme in Tallapalem village of Anakapalli district, the Chief Minister accused previous regimes of indulging in wasteful expenditure while now spreading “poisonous propaganda” against public welfare initiatives.

Referring to criticism over Yoga Day celebrations and development works, Naidu said those who allegedly squandered Rs 500 crore on the Rushikonda palace and hundreds of crores on palatial constructions had no moral authority to question programmes aimed at public health. “They could not build even a single medical college, yet they threaten contractors and malign the PPP model under which new colleges are being built,” he said.

Naidu also hit out at repeated legal and political hurdles, alleging that cases were filed even against land allocation for IT companies and police recruitments. “Yoga is India’s heritage. While they turned Visakhapatnam into a hub for ganja and drugs, we are building it as an AI, data and yoga capital,” he said, adding that the coalition government had ended illegal rackets and would not retreat from its goals.

The Chief Minister underscored that Swachhandhra-Swarnandhra is not a one-off programme but a people’s movement intended to transform lifestyles and thinking. He set clear timelines, declaring that Andhra Pradesh would become a plastic-free State by June 2026. He called for clean villages and clean minds, lauding sanitation workers and green ambassadors as the real soldiers of the cleanliness movement.

He announced that 69 State-level and 1,257 district-level Swachhandhra awards across 21 categories had been presented for outstanding service. Outlining targets, he said road-side garbage must disappear by January 26, door-to-door waste collection would be ensured by February 15, and 100 per cent segregation of dry and wet waste achieved by October 26. Ten lakh households in villages would be encouraged to adopt composting and kitchen gardens.

On industrial growth, the Chief Minister said Anakapalli district was being developed as an industrial hub, with 24,843 acres spread across Rambilli, Pudi, Nakkapalli, Valluru and Makavarapalem. MSME parks are coming up in Koduru, Paravada and Atchutapuram, while the district’s first private industrial park is being developed at Nakkapalli.

Highlighting investments, Naidu said Visakhapatnam had emerged as a global focal point, with 610 MoUs worth Rs 13.26 lakh crore signed at a recent investors’ summit and approvals of Rs 8.29 lakh crore through SIPB, together expected to generate 23 lakh jobs.

Naidu said the State was being developed across three regions, with all irrigation projects in North Andhra to be completed within the next three years. “No matter how many obstacles are created, Andhra Pradesh’s development will not stop,” he asserted.