RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM
Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Andhra Pradesh unit president D. Purandeswari on Wednesday said that the Centre was seriously considering taking steps to check the trend of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy renaming welfare schemes of the Central government after himself in the State.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Ms. Purandeswari said that the Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra has campaigned about the Central government’s welfare schemes and people are highly aware of the Central government’s role in funding and implementation of the schemes.
“Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy has renamed every Central scheme after himself in Andhra Pradesh. At the Centre, we never named any scheme after Narendra Modi. All Central schemes bear the prefix of ‘Pradhan Mantri’, without Mr. Modi’s name,” said Ms. Purandeswari.
‘Funds diverted’
The BJP leader also alleged that Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy diverted funds allocated to A.P. under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to fund the housing scheme in the State in order to bolster his image.
On the State government’s recent decision to offer free treatment up to ₹25 lakh under the Aarogyasri scheme, Ms. Purandeswari lamented that private hospitals have started to decline services under the welfare scheme as the State government was not clearing the bills on time. “The Centre’s Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries will be offered medical services across the country. However, it will provide treatment up to ₹5 lakh per beneficiary,” said Ms. Purandeswari.
Speaking about the Centre’s financial assistance for development of Rajamahendravaram city, Ms. Purandeswari claimed: “The Central government has funded all key projects in Rajamahendravaram city. The projects funded by the Centre include the renovation of the ESI hospital at a cost of ₹100 crore, upgradation of the railway station, construction of a new terminal at the airport and establishing a Regional Science Centre.”
Except for the national highways that pass through East Godavari district, all local roads reflect the negligence of the State government towards infrastructure, said Ms. Purandeswari. Former BJP State president Somu Veerraju and other senior leaders were present.
