Denying that Andhra Pradesh is slipping into ‘‘Sri Lanka-like financial crisis’‘ owing to the State government’s financial profligacy as alleged by Opposition Telugu Desam Party and a section of the media “acting as its mouthpiece”, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has asserted that his government will implement welfare schemes with vigour to improve the lot of people.
Addressing a public meeting here on Friday, after releasing the third tranche of the zero interest scheme amount of ₹1,261 crore to women self help groups in the State, Mr. Jagan made it clear that overcoming the adverse impact of COVID-19 on the economy, the YSR Congress Party government was determined to provide hand-holding support to different sections of people, including members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Minorities and Economically Bbackward Classes to improve their living condition.
''A whopping ₹1,36,694 crore had been transferred directly into beneficiaries' accounts in a transparent manner in the last 35 months, as when income levels of the weaker sections of people improve, the State's financial position too improves'', Mr. Jagan reasoned. The State's revenue now was no different from the one during the then TDP regime. However, the State's borrowings were lower now when compared to the borrowings during the previous regime, he said.
As the Chief Minister asked the assembled women to see through the ‘‘Goebbelsian propaganda’‘ made by the TDP and its allies unable to digest the growing popularity of the “women-friendly” government in the State, the SHG members by waving their hands pleaded with him not to scrap the welfare schemes.
‘‘Will the State become another America if the welfare schemes implemented as per election manifesto are thrown into dustbin as done by the TDP when in power?” he asked, adding that one-fourth of the State population had been covered by one welfare scheme or the other.
Mr. Jagan said women were now an economically empowered lot thanks to tie-up facilitated by the State government with leading companies to run retail stores and with banks for soft loan. Women alone got a lion’s share of benefits of welfare schemes like ‘YSR Asara’, ‘YSR Cheyutha’ to the tune of ₹94,318 crore, the Chief Minister said.
As a result, an overwhelming majority of SHGs had made a turnaround with Non-Performing Asset (NPA) accounts coming to a mere 0.73% among SHGs as against 18.36% during the previous TDP regime, as it failed to keep its poll promise of loan waiver to SHGs, he said. The government's resolve to pull the SHGs out of debt trap had paid off, he said. The number of eligible women SHGs rose to 9.76 lakh from previous 8.71 lakh.
Making a mention of the Cabinet revamp, he said he had made a history by giving 70% of the ministerial posts to the MLAs from SC, ST, OBC and Minorities, as against 56% ministerial posts to these sections before the cabinet reshuffle. Social justice had been ensured at all levels up to the local bodies, he said and referred to members of the OBC community getting the posts of Mayor in Vijayawada, Zilla Parishad Chairperson in Krishna district and head of the Durga temple Devasthanam Board.
Describing the Chief Minister as pro-women, YSRCP regional coordinator Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, who was dropped from the Cabinet to accommodate more members from the depressed classes, expressed fears that he might even be denied the party ticket for the MLA seat and a woman preferred for the seat.
Prompt action had been taken by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government against officials responsible for snatching a private sports utility vehicle from a group of Tirumala-bound pilgrims, he said and added he had tendered an apology. The previous TDP government remained indifferent when 29 people were killed in a stampede during Godavari Pushkaram, he alleged.
Prakasam Collector A.S. Dinesh Kumar said the long wait for Krishna water to flow from the ₹8,018-crore Pula Subbaiah Veligonda project would end in coming August.
A festive atmosphere prevailed in Ongole as Mayor G Sujatha joined the SHG members in performing a scintillating Kollatam on the occasion.
