YSR Congress plenary: Jagan turns his attention to farmers

A special budget for farmers and interest-free loans for farmers and women are among the welfare programmes announced by Kadapa member of Parliament Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, which he said his YSR Congress Party would implement if it comes to power.

Addressing the first plenary of his party, coinciding with 62nd birth anniversary of his late father and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Rajasekhara Reddy, at the family estate at Idupulapaya in Kadapa district, Jagan said the party would make a special budget for farmers, provide interest-free loans, nine hours of free power and set up a special fund of Rs 3,000 crore for welfare of farmers.

He urged the people to give 35 MPs from the state to the party so that it could demand Union Agriculture Ministry from the Centre for achieving these goals.

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Noting that late Rajasekhara Reddy had got 48 lakh houses built for the poor, Jagan said his party would take steps for construction of not less than 10 lakh houses a year.

The poor would be provided 30 kg of rice at Rs 2 per kg as per the wish of his father, he said. He also announced special scholarships of Rs 500 for children from KG to standard 10th, Rs 750 for intermediate students and Rs 1,000 for degree students. Free education would be provided to all children hailing from poor families, he said.

A helpline number '103' for farmers and '102' for livestock problems would be introduced, he said. Jagan said at least one child should become a doctor or an engineer from every poor family or every family should own one acre of cultivable land if the poverty was to be eradicated. 

In the speech late this evening, Jagan also announced that his party would shut down all illegal liquor outlets in the state to protect poor families, particularly the women. The 104-health scheme would be extended to every mandal, he said.

The YSR Congress president lambasted the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh for neglecting several sectors such as health, agriculture, irrigation, housing, and issues like pensions, fee reimbursement, etc.

He alleged that the government had failed to keep the election promise of increasing the rice quota from 20 kg to 30 kg.

As many as 20 MLAs, two MPs -- Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy of Nellore and Sabbam Hari of Anakapalle -- and six MLCs attended the plenary on Friday.

Speaking earlier during the convention, Jagan's mother and MLA Y S Vijayalakshmi blamed Congress President Sonia Gandhi for their decision to quit the party.

"Jagan and I had met Congress president Sonia Gandhi to seek her permission for 'odarpu yatra'. We told her about the need to continue it. But she did not accede to our request and spoke in such a way that hurt me. We had to leave Congress," she said, alleging that Congress high command tried to lower the image of YSR and downplay the schemes launched by him.