YSR was epitome of development: Cong.

Tributes paid on death anniversary of the late CM

Congress leaders paid rich tributes to late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajashekhar Reddy on his death anniversary on Friday recalling his schemes like Arogyasri, Jala Yagnam, 108 services, fee reimbursement scheme and how he had endeared himself to the poor.

TPCC president A. Reva nth Reddy, along with TPCC working president Anjan Kumar Yadav, offered floral tributes at the YSR statue in Panjagutta in the city and later at Gandhi Bhavan. He said after Indira Gandhi it was YSR who had endeared himself to the poor with pro-poor schemes that had a far-reaching effect on society.

He said the Arogysri scheme and fee reimbursement scheme had ensured corporate medicare to the poorest of society while lakhs of poor people studied professional courses that were out of their reach till then with the fee reimbursement scheme. He said the 4% reservations to minorities couldn’t have happened without YSR government.

Mr. Revanth Reddy said YSR proved his pro-farmer attitude with free power for agriculture and starting construction of several irrigation projects that changed the face of Telangana and the present Andhra Pradesh. “We will take inspiration from YSR’s life to bring back Congress into power so that poor people can live with dignity,” he said.

Former PCC chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah recalled his association as a Minister in the YSR government and said several path-breaking schemes were launched during that period. The present government had turned Telangana into a debt-ridden state and the loot has crossed all limits, he alleged. There was no development with the loans raised now but only corruption, he claimed.

Mr. Lakshmaiah asked whether there was any village in Telangana and AP where the Indiramma house doesn’t exist or the pensions given. Now in the name of enhancing the pensions they have cut down the beneficiaries, he alleged. He said YSR’s dream was to make Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister of the country.