YS Jagan Padayatra Touches 3000 km: Navarathnalu Bring Hope, Joy
Anvesh Reddy
Leader of Opposition in Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly and YSRCP president YS Jaganmohan Reddy promised to bring back the glorious days of Rajanna Rajyam, during which a comprehensive path to development of the masses was mapped out and achieved by the late Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy in his tenure.
When YS Jagan launched his mass outreach program, Praja Sankalpa Yatra, he was driven by a mission, a mission to instill confidence into distressed farmers across the State. A mission to lend a patient ear and a healing touch to all segments of society.
A few months into the highly successful Praja Sankalpa Yatra, YS Jagan decided to extend his padayatra after realizing the dire situation of employees, students, farmers, unemployed youth and the elderly to beyond 180 days. The people's leader, after listening to lakhs of complaints and queries, has designed a comprehensive set of welfare schemes, the Navarathnalu, nine schemes which would ensure benefits in health, education, irrigation, farmers welfare, housing, pensions to the five crore population of Andhra Pradesh.
The Navarathnalu drew inspiration from various successful welfare schemes implemented during Dr YSR's rule. With the YSRCP's new pension scheme as part of the Navarathnalu, senior citizens would be considered as pensioners, while Rs 15,000 would be provided towards assistance for all mothers who have school-going children with an aim to boost education in rural areas and to reduce the drop-out rate.
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu came to power after promising to waive loans of farmers, DWCRA women and women's co-operative societies. The Telugu Desam Party's complete failure in implementing these promises has affected the the kith and kin of millions of people.
YSRCP Navaratnas include a promise to waive all the loans of women's co-operative societies and also to support the livelihood of their families by issuing zero interest loans. Through YSR Cheyootha, YS Jagan intends to provide financial assistance to all women from SC, ST, BC and minority communities aged above 45.
From Idupulapaya to Ichhapuram, YS Jagan received thousands of complaints and requests to end the menace of alcoholism. Hundreds of families have been affected and many have committed suicides in the State in last four years of TDP rule, owing to the mushrooming of belt and wine shops to the nook and corner.
In three stages, the YSRCP government plans to level a ban of alcohol and achieve the status of alcohol-free state of Andhra Pradesh.
Education and health sectors have been at the forefront of many of the focused areas during Rajanna Rajyam. Dr YSR's 108 ambulance scheme received heavy praise from national agencies while the Arogyasri scheme changed the fate of millions by providing quality healthcare free of cost across state-run and private hospitals across the erstwhile State of AP.
The Arogyasri scheme would be revived with the government taking the financial burden of all medical expenses above Rs 1,000 regardless of the hospital's location.
The Navaratnas offer complete waiver of college fees under the fees reimbursement scheme, reflecting on the vision and aspiration of late Dr YSR. Every student would be given Rs 20,000 financial assistance per year to support their accomodation requirements.
Andhra Pradesh's majority population is dependent on agriculture. Along with the completion of Polavaram project to meet irrigation needs of crores of farmers, the YSRCP promises to save the interests of the farming community by providing financial assistance of Rs 50,000 to each farmer across four years.
Already, the Navarathnalu received high praise from all the communities of the State during the Ravali Jagan Kavali Jagan (Jagan should come to power, Jagan should become CM), an interactive campaign by the YSRCP leaders with an aim to explain the benefits of the nine schemes to every member of all households across AP.
