The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president S. Sailajanath has urged Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to rise to the needs of the poor who were worst hit by the impact of the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the State.
In a letter to Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Congress leader said poor and middle class people were at the receiving end of the COVID-19 crisis. He demanded that the government supply essential commodities free of cost and distribute a monthly financial aid of ₹5,700 for the next three months to them in view of the near-lockdown situation prevailing in the State.
He also demanded cancellation of the 10th class and Intermediate exams. Repeal of GO 77 and extension of the benefits of programmes like Jagananna Deevena and Jagananna Vasathi to all students in the higher educational institutions and implementation of sunna vaddi (zero interest) on a loan of ₹1 lakh and pavala vaddi (25 paise interest) on a loan of ₹3 lakh to farmers who had been repaying their loans in time, included his other demands.
He said the government should make arrangements for procurement of the crop damaged by the recent rains.
He urged the Chief Minister not to alter the capacity of the Polavaram project by reducing it from a gravity project to a lift irrigation project.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had done precious little to rise to the medical needs of the large population affected by COVID-19 in the county. The YSRCP government was unable to effectively battle the virus, resulting in a medical crisis in the State, he alleged.
