BJP fumes at ‘YSRC label’ on Central schemes

It was the Centre that tackled pandemic effectively, party leaders say

Accusing the YSR Congress government of taking credit over Central schemes, the Kadapa district unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a campaign to create awareness among the beneficiaries.

As part of the 14-day ‘Seva, Sushasan, Garib Kalyan’ programme meant to commemorate Narendra Modi government’s eight years at the helm, the party is conducting a nationwide campaign, as part of which the district unit led by president K. Yella Reddy, former president K. Srinath Reddy, general secretary Lakshminarayana Reddy, assembly coordinator G. Lakshman Rao, Kisan Morcha president U. Srinivasulu and others reached out to the public to distribute publicity material showing the union government’s contribution to the State.

The party maintained that it was the Central government that had tackled the two waves of pandemic effectively by launching Covidcare centres and vaccinating the public.

“As many as 7,937 health and wellness centres were opened under ‘Ayushman Bharat’, 53 empanelled hospitals under ‘Jana Arogya Yojana’ and free treatment to 24.56 lakh affected persons was extended, spending ₹6,765 crore in Andhra Pradesh alone,” Mr. Yella Reddy noted.

The party pegged ₹3,590.81 crore as the balance in the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana’ accounts of 1.17 crore beneficiaries in the state. The Centre deposited ₹9712 crore into the accounts of 55.62 lakh farmers under ‘PM Kisan Samman Nidhi’, which they said was being erroneously projected as state government’s gesture. They also referred to financial assistance extended to the state under PM Matruvandana Yojana, Ujala Yojana, PM Shram Yogi, PM Awas Yojana and Swacch Bharat Mission, Atmanirbhar Nidhi and so on to buttress their claim.

Mr. Lakshman Rao appealed to the State government to give credit to the Union government, instead of affixing its labels on Central schemes.