Jagan vows to bring back YSR golden era

Idupulapaya (YSR Kadapa dist), Feb 2 (INN): Sounding the election bugle, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has presented the picture of the welfare state YSRCP would usher in after coming to power by announcing a string of welfare measures to all sections of society with a promise to infuse credibility into the decaying political system.

Addressing the second plenary after being elected president of the Party, he said: 'What is needed is credibility and sincerity and after my interaction with various sections of people during my Odarpu Yatra and seeing misrule of Congress following the death of YSR, I could understand the plight of students, women, old people and farmers.

Farmers' welfare will be the top priority for our government and our motto is to see them happy. We will set up a Market Stabilisation Fund and see to it that Minimum Support Price (MSP) is not an issue anymore. Power supply will be provided for 7 hours initially and will gradually be increased to 9 hours.

New service of 101 will begin to take care of the soil testing and other advices to farmers and 102 will be started to take care of the livestock as a veterinary clinic.

These apart two ministers will be assigned the portfolio of Agriculture to benefit the farmers, he said.

New life will be breathed into Aarogyasri scheme and we will bring back all the deleted ailments from the list and add more. The 104, 108 services will be made more effective and vibrant. They will be fully functional and equipped with all necessary apparatus.

Immediately after coming to power the old age pension would be increased to Rs 700 from the present Rs 200 and Amma Vadi scheme will be introduced where Rs 1,000 would be credited to the mother's account for the education of her two kids.

The DWACRA groups are being harassed with penalties by present government as the entire group has to suffer for one defaulter. This order will be changed, all loans of DWACRA groups would be waived and loans would be provided without interest, he said.

Fees reimbursement has been watered down but my government will earmark more than enough fund of Rs 6,500 crores for that purpose and fulfill YSR dreams.

All belt shops (illegal country liquor shops) will be closed and local women will be appointed in the police force for that purpose. Twelve LPG cylinders will be supplied at subsidized rates annually with or without cards and Rs 100 subsidy would be borne by the State Government, he said.

He pooh-poohed at N Chandrababu Naidu's claim that he would waive the agriculture loans. The loans are about 1, 27,000 crores and waiver of such loans is not possible.

'Do not be carried away by such impractical and tall promises. He has usurped power from NTR and is invoking the same person for votes which shows his moral standards,' the new President of YSRCP has said.

On the state division issue, he said: Sonia Gandhi wants to divide the state for political reasons and make her son Rahul Gandhi Prime Minister. Kiran Kumar Reddy and N Chandrababu Naidu have been helping her throughout.

'When we take the united state slogan it means welfare of all the three regions and equal justice. This can happen only in a united state and YSR had given top priority to Telangana in many areas, more so in irrigation projects.

If Kiran Kumar Reddy says that he is for a united state why did he not react immediately after the Congress took a decision to split the state some eight months back? Naidu on the other hand has given a letter in favour of division. If they are for a united state, why did they not give affidavits to the President to that effect and why did they not hold dhrnas or go on fast.

What they are wearing is only a mask of united state. In four months time we will go for elections and we shall fight a united battle and win 30 MP seats and dictate terms to Delhi and see to it that the Prime Minister will be a person who is in favour of a united state.

Listing out the murky politics that took various turns during the past two years, he said, we have seen politics of vindictive variations that had put people in jail and kept popular leaders away from people. We have seen Chandrababu Naidu seeing to it that his MPs abstain from the crucial FDI voting while I voted against the Congress though I was in jail.

Even while I was in jail my party has voted against the anti-people Kiran Kumar Reddy government but TDP leader has issued a whip and saved the government as he had a pact with Congress and was saving it at the Centre and State in lieu of ignoring the corruption charges against him in IMG and Emaar scams.

In my case the bail which should have come in 90 days in normal course took 16 months during which time a lot of murky water has passed through political bridge. A section of press had joined the vested interests and started intimidating me and my family with horrific stories that I will be sent to Tihar jail and will not come out and the like.

During such a bad patch it was my mother, sister, my wife and the party leaders and cadre that upheld the Party and took it forward proving my father's words that 'it is not how long you lived but how you lived those years does matter.'

The atrocious period of nine-year term of Chandrababu Naidu which has driven farmers to suicides and took anti-people decision was sealed when YSR took over as Chief Minister. His experiences during the padayatra had enabled him to draft various welfare schemes and it was golden era.

After his death came the Krian Kumar Reddy government which has imposed a burden of Rs 32,000 crores through power charges hikes and surcharges and is reminding the TDP government under the leadership of Chandrababu Naidu.

People are vexed and are looking ahead for a change which we have to bring in and cleanse the political system, he said.