As usual it's welfare, debts and more litigations

Vijayawada: The YSRCP has filed a petition to implead itself as a party in a case in the Supreme Court that is considering adverse effects of freebies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sparked off a debate on the 'Revdi culture' or freebee culture in the country warning the nation of the disastrous effects of the same.

However, for a government like YSRCP's, welfare is not only the backbone of its governance but also the very lifeline. Take out welfare governance, will there be something for the government to sustain at all?

Third year into the power and being unable to fulfil the promises made otherwise, Jagan Mohan Reddy's political survival is clinging on to the dole-system he has evolved with scant regard for the governance and developmental norms.

Only the other day the government proudly claimed that it had met almost all of its welfare promises given out in the election manifesto, more than 92 per cent. Some ministers even claimed that it was around 98 per cent. Jagan should know better that welfare alone is not enough to make him realise his dream of lynching the Opposition in the elections and decimate it without trace as he aims at winning 175 Assembly seats. This year (2022) was crucial to Jagan Mohan Reddy in every sense. This is the year he should have made all the amends that he seeks to achieve the target. Yet, 2022 will go down in the YSRCP calendar as a miserable failure. The party just dabbled in more hate politics in a bid to ascertain itself as the invincible. Never ever rival political leaders face so many complaints against them and harassment.

Litigation too only mounted, be it in the case of three Capitals or in persecuting the TDP mainly or in harassing the farmers of Amaravati who voluntarily had given their lands for the development of Amaravati as the Capital city during the TDP rule. The animosity towards the fourth estate too increased and officials had been asked to keep track of the news and file cases.

Not just a plethora of schemes for the economically weaker sections but also a plethora of cases against the political leaders were the hallmarks of Jagan's ruling this year. . In the last three years, so far, the government has given away at least Rs 2 lakh crore under welfare schemes to the poor. The debt kept mounting beyond Rs 3 lakh crore and the Opposition claims the government will be pushing the state into a debt of more than Rs 6 lakh crore by the end of its term.

Modi's statement has put the spotlight on the YSRCP government thus. During 2021-22 alone, the government claims to have credited Rs 55,000 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer and spent another Rs 18,000 crore on non-DBT schemes.

During the first two years, the government blamed the TDP for the debt position and became defensive, it only got aggressive this year in questioning whether the others had given so much back to the people as this government was doing.

Jagan Mohan Reddy is quirkily banking on winning the elections on these doles yet his surveys send danger bells ringing. At least 27 of his sitting MLAs will be denied tickets for 'non-performance' going by his own caution to the party. If welfare measures are to secure votes why would these MLAs lose? In that case, why would the others win? Of course this 'one chance' Chief Minister is bound to warn the voters next time around that the doles would cease to flow.

He is just ensuring some kind of advance booking. On the contrary, a pertinent question would arise. If the question is that of livelihoods for the people and the government's contribution to it, what would be the government's answer to the same? Those who support the DBTs should come out with statistics on livelihoods created and the efforts to sustain those.

Year 2022 is coming to an end without any assurance of self-reliance to the people by a government which has pushed them into a pensioners' life.

Self-respect of the people is the casualty here. This will go down as a year that has pushed the state into an irreversible debt trap.

In the last three years, so far, the government has given away at least

Rs 2 lakh crore

under welfare schemes to the poor. The debt kept mounting beyond

Rs 3 lakh crore

and the Opposition claims the government will be pushing the state into a debt of more than

Rs 6 lakh crore

by the end of its term. Modi's statement has put the spotlight on the YSRCP government thus. During 2021-22 alone, the government claims to have credited

Rs 55,000 crore

through Direct Benefit Transfer and spent another

Rs 18,000 crore

on non-DBT schemes.

January 2022

♦ Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated the registration services for lands under the YSR Jagananna Saswatha Bhoo Hakku Bhoo Raksha scheme. Under this, land registration services started in 37 villages. The Chief Minister said in the first phase, the resurvey was completed in 51 villages and the process would be completed in 11,501 villages by December 2022

♦ The state government launched a new scheme for women called YSR EBC Nestam, under which Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy transferred funds directly into women's accounts. About Rs 589 crores was deposited in beneficiaries' accounts virtually by the CM from his camp office in Tadepalli.

♦ Ordinance issued raising the age of superannuation for all state government employees to 62 years from the present 60 with effect from January 1, 2022.

February 2022

♦ Thousands of government employees and teachers marched on the streets of Vijayawada city in protest against the recent pay revision. The BRTS road resembled a sea of humanity as the agitating employees and teachers from across the state undertook the 'Chalo Vijayawada' rally demanding that the government immediately withdraw the 'dark orders' related to pay revision.

♦ Industries minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy passed away from a heart attack. He was admitted to the Apollo Hospital at Hyderabad early morning after a complaint of pain in the chest. Reddy, 50, was a two-time MLA from the Atmakur Assembly constituency in the Nellore district. He also held the information technology portfolio. He is the son of former MP Rajamohan Reddy.

March 2022

♦ The Andhra Pradesh High Court directed the State government to construct and develop Amaravati, the capital city of the State, and the capital region within six months. In a far reaching observation, the High Court held that the state legislature lacked the competence to make any legislation for shifting, bifurcating or trifurcating the capital.

♦ Finance minister Buggana Rajendernath presented the annual budget for the year 2022-23 in the state Legislative Assembly. The budget was presented with a total outlay of Rs 2,56,256 crore laying focus on welfare. The state, which was hit badly in pandemic, witnessed a fall in revenue expenditure Rs 2,08,261 crore and capital expenditure at Rs 47,996 crore.

April 2022

♦ Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy flagged off 500 'Dr YSR Thalli Bidda Express', a dedicated transportation facility for new mothers who deliver at government hospitals.

♦ Chief Minister inaugurated 13 new districts which takes the total number of districts to 26. The CM announced that it was a great day for people of the state who seem to accept and appreciate a decentralised form of government. This is because, he added, a decentralised government directly delivers to people's doorstep and the same will be extended to districts from now. He also launched the district portals and handbooks to keep the public informed about the new districts.

May 2022

♦ Violence gripped Amalapuram town after angry protesters set ablaze minister P Viswarup's house over the renaming of newly-created Konaseema district as BR Ambedkar Konaseema district. A police vehicle and an educational institution's bus were torched and police imposed Section 144 in the town. Minister Viswarup and his family were moved to safety by the police. Over 20 police personnel have been injured as the mob pelted stones during the unrest. The angry mobs also set on fire MLA Ponnada Satish's house in Konaseema district.

June 2022

♦ CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of presidential and vice-presidential scheduled in July. In the meeting with Modi, the CM reiterated the state government's demand to restore the net borrowing ceiling to the earlier level and release of revised cost estimate of Polavaram project at Rs 5,548.87 cr.

♦ The school education department signed a memorandum of understanding with ed-tech company Byju's to provide quality content to government school students from Classes 4 to 10. School education commissioner S Suresh Kumar and Byju's vice-president Sushmit Sarkar singed the MoU in the presence of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and others.

July 2022

♦ Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was elected the lifetime president of the ruling YSRCP. The decision was taken at the concluding day of the party's two-day plenary session. There were 22 sets of nominations filed on behalf of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for the post of national president of the party and as there were no other nominations, he was declared elected unanimously by the returning officer.

♦ Close to 300 villages under 42 mandals in six districts along the Godavari course faced flood fury while another 177 villages lay marooned.

August 2022

♦ At least 121 women have been hospitalised after a gas leak at an apparel manufacturing plant in Atchyutapuram district. The factory workers complained of nausea, vomiting and irritation in eyes.

♦ The government has banned the use of vinyl banners across the state as part of the drive against plastic.

September 2022

♦ State govt moves Supreme Court against HC's ruling on capital Amaravati

♦ Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari laid stone for eight National Highway projects to be developed at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore in Andhra Pradesh.

October 2022

♦ Thousands of people, including students and women, joined the 3.6-km-long Visakha Garjana in support of YSRCP government's three capitals' proposal. It culminated in a public meeting.

♦ Congress scion Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra begins in Andhra Pradesh raising hopes of revival of a party that was wiped out from the State after the 2014 bifurcation.

November 2022

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a plaque for laying the foundation stone of five projects and dedicated two completed projects to the nation at a public meeting in Visakhapatnam.

♦ Modi pressed a button to lay the foundation stone for various projects, including construction of the six-lane Raipur-Visakhapatnam economic corridor, modernisation of the Visakhapatnam fishing harbour, redevelopment of the Visakhapatnam railway station, a separate port road, and laying of the GAIL pipeline from Srikakulam to Angul in Odisha. The Prime Minister also dedicated two highways and the ONGC offshore deepwater project to the nation.

December 2022

♦ Thousands of people attended the 'Seema Garjana' (Roar of Rayalaseema) in Kurnool in support of YSRCP government's plan to build three State capitals.

♦ After 'Visakha Garjana' in November month, the supporters of three capitals organised a massive public meeting addressed by some Ministers and leaders of the ruling party. Ministers Amzath Basha, Buggana Rajendranath Reddy, Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy, Gummanuru Jayaram, YSRCP MLAs, MLCs and other public representatives attended the meeting.

♦ Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy addressed BC Mahasabha at IGMC Stadium in Vijayawada.