A gimmick to divert attention: TDP

Amaravati: Senior TDP leader Prathipati Pulla Rao on Thursday described the Jagan Mohan Reddy government's 'door-to-door ration' as yet another drama to divert the attention of the people from its failure to fulfil the CM's election Padayatra promises.

Pulla Rao asked whether the Chief Minister was boasting of buying a fleet of 9,260 vehicles only for parading them in rallies for cheap publicity only. Thousands of vehicles bought and meant for distribution through the BC, SC, ST and Minority Finance Corporations were not given to the beneficiaries and they were made to rust.

In a statement here, the TDP leader said that it was shameful on the part of the YSRCP to claim credit for people's welfare when it gave away the vehicles procured through the corporations to its own party activists.

There were reports that the present vehicles were meant for only benefitting the YSRCP leaders' rice mafia. Like never before, incidents came to light that rice was illegally exported to foreign countries. There has been no action on this so far.

Pulla Rao recalled how the TDP regime gave 10 items to the beneficiaries which included rice, dal, sugar, wheat flour, sanitary pads, etc. But now, only rice, dal and sugar were being given. On the other hand, price was increased on dal sold at ration shops by Rs 27 per kg to loot Rs 492 crore from the people. Another Rs 255 crore was being taken away by increasing sugar price by Rs 14 per kg. Compared to the previous Government, over Rs 6,000 additional burden would be placed on each family every month because of the price hike.

Alleging that the YSRCP was misleading the public, Pulla Rao said that the ruling party had no moral right to talk about welfare when it had reduced 50 per cent subsidy on market rates to just 25 percent. The TDP regime spent Rs 350 crore to give Sankranti, Christmas and Ramzan Thofa gifts but they were all cancelled by the CM. In the past, ration distribution was completed within a week. Now, it was extended to 18 days.

The TDP leader deplored that a situation is prevailing now that the poor families were made to wait for long time for their ration. In the name of vehicles and volunteers, the ration dealers system was being destroyed. It was unfortunate that the CM has set out to rob the ration dealers of their livelihoods. Pulla Rao said that the volunteers used their fingerprints to take away ration for 84,000 ration card holders in October 2019 and for one lakh card holders in November 2019. Commission was not being given for ration dealers.