Changes are clearly visible: CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy

Vijayawada: Stating that rural landscape has undergone a big change which is very much tangible, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the state stands as a role model in the country with a fine balance between welfare and development.

The Chief Minister, in the motion of thanks to the Governor's speech, told the Assembly on Wednesday that the revolutionary 'Jagan mark of changes' from villages to towns are there to be seen in every nook and corner in the form of village and ward secretariats, English medium schools, Rythu Bharosa Kendras, village health clinics among others.

He alleged that TDP government had 'hoodwinked' all sections of people by showing graphics and talking of bullet trains, adding he would, however, continue to walk on the ground only journeying with the poor, and weaker sections rendering social and political justice to SCs, STs, BCs and Minorities.

"Agriculture is as much important to me as industry. Petty traders are also as valuable as the IT. Pensioners are also as much important as the government employees. My war is against capitalists and my objective is eradication of poverty, this is my economics and politics," he said, stressing this is what he had learnt from his father and former chief minister Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

Describing his governance as women-centric, he said that the AP is the only state in the country which is striving hard for the empowerment of the women and uplift of weaker sections. He said that YSRCP is the only party which restricted politics to elections while implementing welfare schemes with transparency to all people irrespective of caste, creed and religion.

The nearly four-year rule of YSRCP has brought credibility to governance by affecting revolutionary changes for good in every respect. Explaining further, he said the 13 districts and 51 revenue districts during the TDP rule went up to 26 and 76 respectively now as part of the efforts of decentralisation for the equal development of all regions.

While there was only one surveyor for each mandal in the TDP rule, 10,185 surveyors are working now at village and ward secretariats undertaking comprehensive survey of lands after 100 years, he said, adding 17 new medical colleges are under construction after YSRCP came to power as against the 11 medical colleges during the TDP rule.

YSR village clinics manned by community health officers storing 105 sorts of medicines and equipped with labs to conduct 14 types of diagnostic tests was one of the changes that the rural health sector witnessed after the YSRCP came to power, he said, adding while the TDP rule never looked at the dilapidated government schools, they are on their way to become corporate schools now with digital class rooms.

As many as 15,004 village and ward secretariats coupled with 10,778 RBKs extending more than 600 civic services was the major change witnessed after YSRCP came to power, he said and added that in an unprecedented manner, 2.65 lakh volunteers are extending services to the people across the state with each volunteer working for 50 houses.

The Chief Minister said that the number of government jobs went up to more than 6 lakh from 4 lakh in TDP rule while 1.56 lakh new MSMEs were established after YSRCP came to power as against 1.10 lakh MSMEs which existed during the TDP rule.

With the implementation of a plethora of welfare schemes resulting in 11.28 per cent growth rate in the state, AP offers a perfect example for the economists to carry out a research, said the Chief Minister.