Tatiparthi Cross, East Godavari District: The 108 emergency services staff met me today and said due to unavoidable circumstances they were going on a strike on August 5. It was very sad to know that the present rulers have made 108 services invalid, the vehicles are not in proper shape and the plight of staff is pitiable to say the least.

Started by my father, late Chief Minister Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy, the 108 services were replicated in 16 states across the country. Even neighbouring countries have emulated this programme. But unfortunately, the same is not functional in its place of origin, said the 108 staff. They are not paid enough, have to put in a lot of hard work for no reward; their work doesn't come under any labour act, above all their lives are in a state of misery.

Workers said that they had not been paid salaries for the last three months. Each mandal had to have at least one vehicle, but there's just one per constituency. Many vehicles have been dumped without use, while the vehicles that are operating are not in proper condition, the service operators informed. There was no oxygen and basic emergency medicine. 108 was on the verge of extinction in Andhra Pradesh, with this situation, the staff said they were going on strike from August 5. After hearing them and noticing the status of 108, I was deeply pained that such emergency services were completely neglected by the government.

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The story of agriculture and farmers is no better. Gollaprolu farmers told me me how the government had no concern for the farmers. Adapa Devi lamented that continuous crop failure and private debts had destroyed their family. Her father, who was farming on a leased land, committed suicide at the age of 39 unable to bear the losses. She said that her father sold the house and a small farm land to clear the debts. But it didn't help. Unfortunately, the family did not get any help from the government. Let alone compensation to the family, nobody even came to console them.

How will the farmers trust this government? In Gollaprolu mandal, over the last four years seven farmers have committed suicide. None of them got any compensation. Unfortunately in the state, there was no difference between a drought area and a delta area, the stories of suicides are heard in every nook and corner of the region due to government’s negligence.

I met Kamal, who had completed MSc in nursing, at Gollaprolu. She sought regularization of contract nurses and also respectable salaries to them. She gifted me a beautifully designed handkerchief with names of my family members inscribed.

I have a question for the chief minister – Is it not true that more than half of the 108 vehicles in every constituency are in unusable condition? What was the intention behind projecting that all the 108 vehicles were functioning efficiently? All the vehicles are not maintained properly. Is it not true that all the vehicles were being projected as working and government was paying Rs 1.3 lakhs per vehicle for their maintenance? Who is pocketing such huge amounts? What should we call a person who has turned even emergency services corrupt?