YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday warned that all the welfare schemes being implemented by his government would come to a halt if the Telugu Desam Party headed by N Chandrababu Naidu comes to power in the state again.
“Naidu and his adopted son (read: Pawan Kalyan) have been campaigning that if I continue to implement welfare schemes, Andhra Pradesh would become like Sri Lanka (which is facing severe financial crisis). It clearly shows that Naidu doesn’t want to implement these schemes if he comes to power,” Jagan said, addressing a public meeting at Ongole after launching the zero-interest loan scheme.
The chief minister reeled out one scheme after the other and the number of people being benefitted by them every year.
“Will you agree if these schemes are abolished? Are you not getting benefits from them?” Jagan asked the audiences, who responded in one voice saying: “No.”
Jagan reminded that there was no difference between his government and the previous Chandrababu Naidu government in the revenues and loans.
“In fact, our borrowings are much less compared to those in Naidu government. Yet, we have been able to implement the welfare schemes. What Naidu could not do then, we are doing now,” he claimed.
He wondered how the state would become Sri Lanka if the schemes are implemented, as propagated by Naidu and his adopted son and the media supporting them.
“If the promises are not implemented like Naidu did, will AP become America?” he asked.
It is unfortunate that these leaders are opposing the schemes that would benefit the poorer sections financially.
“We believe in the theory that if the people are happy, the state would prosper. But the opposition calls for dethroning of our government,” he regretted.
Stating that he was fighting with the demons in the form of Naidu, Pawan and their favourite media houses, Jagan said he had not backtracked on the implementation of the welfare schemes despite the financial crisis due to Coronavirus pandemic and difficulties in the financial management.
“But the opposition parties are calling for the return of the Chandrababu Naidu, who has been stalling the welfare schemes for the poor, SCs, STs, BCs and minorities and economically weaker sections among the upper castes,” he alleged.
The chief minister said he was striving for social justice in letter and spirit. Even in districts like Krishna, the YSRC had given chairman posts to the BCs.
“I am aiming at doing justice to all sections of people. Forget about the opposition, I want the people to consider only one thing: whether Jagan is doing justice to all sections,” he said.