YSRCP president and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy reached Palnadu district on the 11th day of his Statewide ‘Memantha Siddham’ campaign on Monday, where he began by holding a close, intimate interaction with pensioners.
Mr. Jagan held a ‘Mukhamukhi’ interaction with the elderly, widowers and disabled pension beneficiaries in the Poddili area of the Darsi Assembly constituency in Palnadu district.
Speaking at the event, 55-year-old Patra Prabhavati from Darsi village, spoke of the ordeal she had to undergo while collecting her pension money this month. “We need the volunteer system to continue, and we need Mr. Jagan as Chief Minister. Ration, pension and benefits of other schemes came directly to our doorstep. Even during COVID-19, this went on without a hitch,” Ms. Prabhavati said.
Touched by her statement, Mr. Jagan reassured her that his first official act after being re-elected as Chief Minister would be to revive the volunteer system across the State.
‘Naidu succumbed to corruption’
“It is heartening to see such widespread appreciation for the volunteer system. It is unfortunate that TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, who was Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for 14 years, never thought of putting in place such a system. His focus seemed to lie elsewhere - establishing Janmabhoomi Committees, engaging in shady business deals, and succumbing to corrupt practices. His tenure was marked by discrimination based on party affiliation. In start contrast, reinstating the volunteer system remains a priority for us. Rest assured, my first signature upon assuming office will be for this cause,” Mr. Jagan said.
“The YSRCP govt is spending ₹2,000 crore per month, which is ₹24,000 crore per year. In the last five years, we have spent over ₹90,000 crore on pensions, which is higher than any other State in the country. If we look at the pension expenditure of other States, Bihar is spending ₹4,300 crore, Uttar Pradesh ₹5,160 crore, Karnataka ₹4,700 crore, and Telangana ₹7,180 crore,” Mr. Jagan told the gathering.
