Chandrababu Can’t Fool DWCRA Women This Time

28 Jan, 2019 14:11 IST|Sakshi
Chandrababu Naidu

Kommineni Srinivasa Rao

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu is famous for his penchant to rain sops at the time of elections. In the past, the TDP chief spoke vocally against subsidies and free power supply. In fact he went so far as to say that borrowing from the World Bank could become difficult with sops like free power. Chandrababu is also famous for his statement that free power was an impractical solution and that farmers would have to dry clothes on electric wires. Interestingly, it is the same Chandrababu who today, at the time of elections has been showering sops like the announcement of loan waivers of farmers as well as DWCRA, Self Help Groups.

After the 2014 elections, AP chief minister who had made similar promises at that time remarked that there should be a limit to the desires of farmers. He did not so much as mention the loan waivers of DWCRA women's groups. Meanwhile, the interest amount on loans borrowed by these women continued to mount. They were also subject to notices from banks over the past four years.

Chandrababu has the dubious distinction of turning women from DWCRA self help groups into hired audiences for his public meetings. The implicit threat was that if the women did not attend his meetings, they would be deprived of loans and subsidies.

In recent days, the threat held out to women was that if they did not sit through the AP CM's droning address, they would not be given Rs 10,000 under the Pasupu Kumkuma scheme. What does this reflect? Is it not a clear example of the level to which people are vexed with Chandrababu Naidu? Why would the AP chief minister announce sops and declare that money would be transferred into the account of people, unless he is gripped by a fear of imminent defeat in the upcoming elections?

On the one hand, the state is starved of funds and on the other, the TDP supremo is announcing a slew of sops claiming that he is borrowing funds to do so and this was a measure of his large bigheartedness. Yet another new gimmick of his is to issue post dated cheques. Such absurd ideas can occur only to Chandrababu. If Chandrababu was sincere, why did he not announce loan waivers to DWCRA women as promised in the TDP manifesto? Why were women not given Rs 10,000 over four and a half years? It is clear that after Leader of Opposition in Andhra Pradesh Assembly and YSR Congress Party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced his Navarathnalu and spelt out clearly that after coming to power, the entire burden of loan amounts of DWCRA women's group would be borne by the government, that Chandrababu Naidu out of fear, started to enact a new drama just before the elections.

The TDP chief has been telling people that they should take these post dated cheques and act like enthusiastic ruling party workers. Chief ministers of earlier times would hesitate to say such things. But Chandrababu is not diffident on this score. However, it remains to be seen whether the women of the state would trust Chandrababu Naidu. It is not clear whether the money given is to be treated as a grant or a loan.

Officials made it clear to women that all such assistance in the past was treated as loan. It is very likely that women would take what is given by the TDP government to them now. But once YS Jagan comes to power, all these loans would become the responsibility of the government in power. It is diabolical on the part of Chandrababu Naidu to borrow thousands of crores and attempt to buy votes using government funds. This is not something new from the AP chief minister. In the past, he had announced that if he is voted to power, the Rs 2 a kg rice scheme would be continued and that there would be  ban on liquor. This propaganda was soon forgotten after elections. In fact, a few months after the 2014 elections, the price of rice was enhanced in the name of public opinion and feedback. Chandrababu may not succeed in taking DWCRA women for a ride this time around.

Also Read: Andhra CM Chandrababu Resorts To Political Plagiarism, Copies YSRCP Election Manifesto Navaratnalu

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