The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will draw up schemes to empower the tribal people who are now struggling to lead a decent life in the absence of the promised support by the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), says TDP national general secretary N. Lokesh.
During his 129th day of his Yuva Galam padayatra at Kallur village, near Kaluvaya, in the undivided Nellore district on June 17 (Saturday), Mr. Lokesh promised to revive the land purchase scheme for the benefit of the tribal people and sink solar-powered borewells as the members of the Yenadi community who eke out a living as tenant farmers were finding it hard to break even.
Youth from the community would be provided with soft loans by earmarking funds to the Scheduled Tribe Finance Corporation, Mr. Lokesh promised, as they complained about non-sanctioning of loans to enterprising youth by the YSRCP government, which allegedly diverted funds for other purposes.
Members of the community who complete 45 years of age would be provided pension, he said. Fishing rights of the community members in the village water bodies would be protected, Mr. Lokesh asserted amid loud cheers.
Civic infrastructure
Moved by the poor civic infrastructure in the ST Colony in the village, the TDP leader assured the residents that CC roads and piped drinking water supply would be provided to them within 100 days of coming to power. Similarly, house sites would be given to all members of the community on a saturation basis, said Mr. Lokesh.
Manifesto
Highlighting the TDP’s seven-point election manifesto precursor, he said, under ‘Maha Shakthi’ scheme, a monthly financial aid of ₹1,500 would be given to every woman in the 18-59 age group if the the party was voted to power. Under ‘Thalliki Vandanam’, an annual financial assistance of ₹15,000 would be given to each mother. Women would be allowed to travel free of cost in State-run buses. Three cooking gas cylinders in a year would be given free of cost as homemakers struggle to run the kitchen in the wake of ever-increasing cost of essential commodities, including fuel, Mr. Lokesh said.
For Muslims
Interacting with a group of Muslims, he assured them to revive the Ramzan Tohfa as also Shaadi Tohfa if the TDP was voted to power. He promised construction of a masjid in the village itself when the villagers complained to him that they had to now travel long distances to visit their place of worship by going to the neighbouring villages.
He also promised to ensure compensation for those displaced by the Kaluvaya Balancing Reservoir project as it had been a long wait for a group of farmers from Madannagaripalli, who lost about 550 acres for the project in 1990.
Former Union Minister Panabaka Lakshmi and TDP Polit Bureau member Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy were among others who accompanied Mr. Lokesh during the padayatra.
