Amravati: Less than a week before the first phase of polling of the Lok Sabha elections, YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday released the party’s manifesto at the state party office in Tadepalli.
The four paged document, released on the auspicious occasion of Ugadi, mainly focusses on farmer issues and is replete with welfare expenditures aimed to empower the marginalized sections of the society.
The YSRCP manifesto promises financial assistance of Rs 50,000 to farmers under the YSR Rythu Bharosa scheme. In addition to that, zero interest loans, free bore-wells, cold-storage, food processing plants and a calamity relief fund of Rs 9,000 crore are the benefits the party has assured to farmers if it is elected to power. Reddy also promised farmers that his government will pay the total crop insurance premium on their behalf. “The government will provide Rs.3000 crore for crop prices stabilization fund,” he added.
YSRCP’s manifesto also promises to address the issue of unemployment by providing jobs at the village secretariat to 10 youths in every village. “In addition to this, around 3.5 lakh village/ ward volunteers will receive Rs 5,000 a month as honorarium,” the manifesto stated. Through such policies Reddy’s government, he claimed, will fill 2.3 lakh vacant government jobs.
The party’s manifesto also provides for fee reimbursement to students. In addition to that, the YSRCP assures an allowance of Rs 20,000 to each student. According to the manifesto, Rs 1-1.5 lakh will be allotted to each student.
In order to alleviate the problems of elderly, the party also aims to reduce pension age from 65 to 60, and provide pension of Rs 2,000 per month to the poor elderly and Rs 3,000 for the disabled.
The party’s Navaratnalu, which forms a major part of the manifesto, includes support of up to Rs 1 lakh to women from SC, ST, BC and minority communities, who are aged over 45. The manifesto also promises to provide Rs 15,000 assistance to all mothers who send their children to school, under Amma Vodi.
For the welfare of the Backward Classes, a fund with a budget of Rs 75,000 crore allocated over a period of five years will be created under YSR Cheyutha. A similar welfare fund for the Kapus will also be put in place. Workers in the unorganized sector, such as barbers, tailors, weavers, hawkers and other caste-based professions, will be provided assistance by the state, the manifesto added.
The manifesto promises universal healthcare coverage for lower and middle class under Arogyasri. Any individual with an annual income of up to Rs. 5 Lakh can avail the Universal Health Card and benefits for free. Taking YSR’s vision of Arogyasri forward, the Universal Health Cards will be applicable for any medical expense over Rs. 1,000. This scheme will reportedly be personally monitored by Reddy.
Reddy also assured that his government will ban the sale of liquor in the state and confine it to Star-rated hotels.
The Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh will be held in a single phase on April 11 in all 25 seats.