Y S Sharmila (R) and Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy
Credit: PTI Photos
Hyderabad: While his sister Y S Sharmila who had recently joined Congress and started attacking Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy by taking his name, the Andhra Pradesh chief minister refused to take her name even as he took vieled digs at her.
At a public meeting organised in Uravakonda of Anantapur district to release YSR Aasara funds to women SHGs on Tuesday, in an indirect dig and apparent reference to Sharmila, Jagan said she has been helping opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu.
“Some fan club leaders of Naidu have joined the Congress which had bifurcated the state illogically and done injustice to the residual Andhra Pradesh. They are all trying to give him a fresh lease of political life even though he didn’t implement a single welfare scheme during his rule,” said Jagan.
Ever since Sharmila had joined Congress, the YSRCP leaders have been accusing her of aiding Naidu. Jagan’s top aide and government advisor, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy had recently said that Sharmila was parroting the words of Naidu. He also claimed that she targeted her brother Jagan in a bid to make Naidu chief minister rather than seeking support for making Rahul Gandhi the prime minister.
Naidu has several star campaigners including his sister-in-law, his coverts in BJP, foster son Pawan Kalyan and the pseudo-intellectuals who conduct debates in TV channels, he said, adding that all of them are coming together to give him fresh lease of political life even though he didn’t implement a single welfare scheme during his rule, he said.
"These star campaigners are no match for my star campaigners who are beneficiaries of various welfare schemes," he said.
Naidu’s campaigners, who are residents of the neighboring state, are out to support the blatant lies and government-denigrating propaganda unleashed by the TDP friendly media on a daily basis, he fumed.
Describing the beneficiaries of welfare schemes as his star campaigners, he asked them to cast their vote for YSRCP in the ensuing elections to ensure the continuity of slew of DBT and non-DBT welfare schemes in future.
“Your vote for YSRCP is not just a vote for Jagan as Chief Minister. You have to remember that the slew of welfare schemes will continue only if Jagan continues as Chief Minister. So, exercise your franchise judiciously,” he called upon the people.
“I may not have foster sons and friendly media. They may think that YSRCP has no star campaigners. But as beneficiaries of a slew of welfare schemes, you are my star campaigners,” he told the crowd amid cheers, and asked them to teach a fitting lesson to the opposition in the ensuing elections.
Though the budget during the TDP rule was the same as of now, it failed to implement even a single welfare scheme for the poor as Naidu pursued the policy of plunder, stash and devour, he said.
With the government implementing YSR Aasara, YSR Cheyuta and Sunna Vaddi (zero percent interest) and other schemes, 91 per cent of the C and D grade self-help groups in TDP rule have now transformed into A and B grades while their NPA (Non-Performing Asset) value has come down to 0.17 per cent from 18.36 per cent.
He further said that a whopping Rs. 2, 50 lakh crore was spent on DBT welfare schemes for the uplift of weaker sections of society.
“While Naidu neglected women’s safety and empowerment, we have made an Act to allot 50 per cent of the nominated posts and contracts to women while posting women constables in village secretariats. We have also given utmost priority for the safety and security of women launching the Disha App which was downloaded by more than 1.46 crore women,” the Chief Minister stated, adding that the Government focused on women empowerment unlike any other state.
Jagan said that he is only depending on people and god and the people have to take upon the responsibility of defeating the TDP and its allies in the elections.
Jagan releases Rs 6394 cr for YSR Aasara
Jagan released Rs. 6394.83crore towards the fourth and final tranche for waiving off balance loans of 78,94,169 women members of 7, 98, 395 self-help groups that owed a total of Rs.25, 571 crores to various banks in 2019.
In three tranches earlier, the government has repaid the self-help groups’ loans to the tune of Rs.19,176crore defaulted during the rule of TDP which promised the loan waiver.
Addressing a huge public meeting before releasing the amount with the click of a button in Uravakonda on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said he was happy to fulfil his 2019 election promise of repaying the bank loans of women’s self-help groups that were ditched by TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu.
He said that education quality, improvement in literacy rate and security of women are the parameters for assessing the social progress of any state and the Government has been focusing on these factors for empowering women.