YSRCP dharna on Nov 5: Jagan

YSR Congress would launch a State-wide dharna on November 5 to protest against the indifference of the TDP government towards the cyclone affected people  and its failure to keep up the poll promise of waiving agriculture and DWACRA loans besides the shoddy implementation of pension scheme.

Announcing this after rounding off his eight-day tour of the Hudhud Cyclone affected areas of north coastal Andhra, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy told the media here on Tuesday; “TDP Government has been found wanting on all counts from carrying out relief and rehabilitation works in the cyclone ravaged areas and has been deceiving farmers and DWACRA women groups by going back on its poll promise of waiving loans.

We have to strongly question the State government on its failures and we will hold dharnas at all mandal headquarters demanding the State to provide relief and rehabilitation to the cyclone affected people besides waiving the loans as assured to the farmers and women groups and shun from slashing the pensioners’ list.”

The TDP government has miserably failed in providing relief to the cyclone affected people as no official has visited major parts that were wrecked by the Hudhud and no enumeration work was taken up. Instead, Chandrababu Naidu has been resorting to publicity blitz while at ground zero level nothing was implemented.

Though he promised 25 kgs rice in the cyclone hit region, many areas were left out and farmers repeatedly fell prey to the calamities both natural and manmade. First, the loans were not waived and they became defaulters as they believed that Chandrababu Naidu would waive the loans after coming to power and they did not repay the loans.

As the Chief Minister did not honour his poll promise, the farmers’ eligibility to crop insurance has been erased and the cyclone has washed away their crop. With banks refusing to give fresh loans most of the farmers have gone for private borrowings and are totally duped, as the government has failed to secure any fresh loans and did not pay any compensation, he said.

The paddy, sugarcane and other farmers are at a loss for words to explain their plight as they were deceived from all sides. Even for the 25 % crop that had escaped the nature’s fury, water has become scarce and with TDP government failing to provide the power, the crop stands to be died up.

The State has announced Rs 5,000 crore towards loan waiver though the actual loans of farmers and Women groups put together sum up to Rs 1 lakh crores. They have put in many riders for the eligibility of loan waiver though it was not mentioned during electioneering by Chandrababu Niadu.

While a total amount of Rs 3,700 crores is needed for pensions, a meager Rs 1,300 crores was allocated in the budget and the State is trying to slash the number of pensions in the name of bogus cards in a very unjust and brutal manner. How can the people who were pensioners for the past so many years suddenly become ineligible is the question to be answered by this government, he said.

If we continue to keep silent, the State will go on with its anti-people policies and we have to launch a strong protest by picketing all Mandal Revenue Offices on November 5, he said.