VIJAYAWADA: Taking a dig at Janabheri meet organised on Thursday by the Amaravati Joint Action Committee to mark the completion of one year of its agitation for Amaravati as the only capital of the State, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said Opposition Leader N Chandrababu Naidu is more concerned about his self interests and decline in the prices of lands he and his benamis purchased in the capital region.
Addressing BC Sankranti, a programme organised for the swearing-in of the chairpersons of 56 BC corporations and 672 directors, Jagan described Amaravati Janabheri as a meeting organised by a dethroned leader with his deteriorated mind to divert the attention of people from the State government’s initiative of empowerment of BCs. Jagan alleged that Janabheri was organised by Naidu and his benamis, who bought land from the farmers of capital region at low prices through insider trading, to safeguard their vested interests.
“Naidu’s men were aware of the fact that Amaravati would be made the State capital before it was announced and purchased lands secretly. Fearing that the value of those lands will slump, the TDP chief started a movement, only to protect his own interests and not out of concern for the people of Amaravati,” Jagan said.
Reiterating his commitment to empowerment of BCs, the Chief Minister said as promised his government is striving to make Backward Classes in the State the backbone of the society. The newly appointed chairpersons and directors of BC corporations have a bounden duty towards their BC brethren to ensure that they too get benefited from the plethora of schemes being implemented by the government for them.
“You all have to ensure that no eligible person is left out of the welfare schemes. Hereafter, all BC Corporation chairpersons will be ex-officio members of ZP and your voice will represent the voiceless people,” he said.
Jagan, who spoke at length, lambasted TDP for ignoring the plight of BCs and forgetting to fulfil its promises made to them. “I strongly believe BCs are not Backward Classes, but backbone classes of society. Unfortunately, the previous government broke that backbone by ignoring their welfare and development. However, our government gave top priority to BC welfare, just like we are caring for SCs, STs, minorities and the poor in upper castes,” he said.
Reiterating that he always treats the YSRC election manifesto as the Bible, Bhagavad Geeta and Quran, the Chief Minister said 90 per cent of the promises made in the manifesto have been fulfilled and he is proud of it. “If we cannot be of any help to these sections, what is the use of the government? I introspect every day and thank god for giving me an opportunity to serve them all,” he said.
He said TDP failed to keep even 10 per cent of its 118 promises made to BCs and people taught it a fitting lesson for going back on the promises. “They promised Rs 10,000 crore for BC welfare every year, which is Rs 50,000 crore in five years, but only spent Rs 19,329 crore in all. However, our government in the last 18 months, has spent Rs 38,519 crore for them. We spent Rs 59,317 crore to benefit 4.45 crore people in the State and of them BCs are 2.88 crore. Every BC family has benefited from multiple schemes,” he explained.
Stating that his government has set up a permanent BC Commission, which the previous government did not even think of, he said 60 per cent of his Cabinet ministers are SCs, STs, BCs and minorities and four of the five Deputy Chief Ministers are from these communities. Even the Assembly Speaker is a BC, he pointed out.
The Chief Minister said he was happy to note that 29 of the 56 chairpersons of BC corporations and 336 of the 672 directors are women. Like no other State, the AP government enacted laws providing 50 per cent reservation for BCs, SCs, STs, minorities and women in all nominated posts and contracts. “While TDP failed to send even a single person from Backward Classes to the Rajya Sabha, we allotted two of the four vacant seats to BCs,” he said.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister listed out various welfare schemes launched in the last 18 months and the percentage of BCs of the total population benefited from them. On Amma Vodi, the government has spent Rs 6,500 crore to benefit 82 lakh students and 43 lakh mothers and of them 19.66 lakh are BCs.
Under Rythu Bharosa, Rs 13,500 is being given to 50 lakh farmer families by spending Rs 6,750 crore and of them 23.69 lakh are from BC communities. Under the housing for the poor, the government will distribute over 31 lakh house site pattas on December 25 and of the total 15.92 lakh women beneficiaries are BCs.
Of the total 2.62 lakh TIDCO houses, 1.53 lakh houses will be allotted to BCs. Under YSR Nethanna Nestham, nearly 81,000 handloom weavers’ families got a benefit of Rs 384 crore and all are BCs. Under YSR Matsyakara Bharosa 1.07 lakh BC families, Jaganannna Chedhodu 2.27 lakh BC families, YSR Aarogyasri 5.24 lakh BCs, YSR Aarogya Asara 1.38 lakh BCs, YSR Pension Kanuka 30.27 lakh BCs and YSR Aasara 42.60 lakh BC women have been benefitted, he said.
Deputy Chief Ministers Dharmana Krishna Das and Amzath Basha, Ministers Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy, Chelluboyina Venugopala Krishna, Botcha Satyanarayana, Gummanur Jayaram, P Anil Kumar Yadav, M Sankara Narayana and others were present on the occasion.
‘BCs are backbone classes of society’
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of chairpersons of 56 BC corporations, CM Jagan said, “I strongly believe BCs are not Backward Classes, but backbone classes of society. Our government in the last 18 months, has spent Rs 38,519 crore for BCs. We spent Rs 59,317 crore to benefit 4.45 crore people in the State and of them BCs are 2.88 crore.”