Praja Sankalpa Yatra Diary Day 8: Progress Cannot Be One Step Forward, Two Steps Backwards

3 Jan, 2018 15:24 IST|Sakshi
Praja Sankalpa Yatra Day 8

Krishnapuram, Kurnool District:

My Praja Sankalpa Yatra reached its first 100 km mark at Godiganuru in Kurnool district. At Godiganuru, I once again explained the idea behind my padayatra to the people. We have a paradoxical situation in the state. On the one hand, the powers that be say the state is mired in deep financial crisis due to the bifurcation of the state. On the other, the very same people are looting the resources of the state at will. The minimum benefits that should rightfully accrue to the common man are being
denied to him. Yet, they are shamelessly parroting development slogans. Progress can never be one step forward and two steps backward. It has to be continuous and constant. Achieving a better today and an even better tomorrow is the cornerstone of progress. Each person in every family should be happy. My Praja Sankalpa Yatra is aimed at achieving this.

The yatra began at 8.30 AM today from Idamadaka village. At the Chagalamarri public meeting, I met Narsimha, a disabled person. He is visually challenged and is suffering from 100 per cent disability. He has been constantly petitioning the Janma Bhoomi Committee members to secure pension under the disabled category. Yet, his efforts bore no fruit. The villagers told him that he could get his pension if he approaches YS Jagan. So, he came to me to narrate his woes to me. I was deeply moved by his plight. I am writing a letter to the district collector highlighting his problem. Now that his tale of woes is in public domain, I am confident the Government will release his pension. Let’s wait and see how things unfold.

Hussain Bi met me at Chagalamarri. He had lost her fingers in a fire mishap. She cannot work. She used to subsist on the pension and the ration material that my father gave her. After he came back to power, Chandrababu Naidu has stopped her pension. There are lakhs of such Hussain Bis who are deprived of pensions despite being fully eligible.

The contributory pension scheme is one of the biggest problems that the Government employees are facing. The Government is investing their contribution to pension in the share market. So, their pension amount depends on the losses in the share market. A retired school assistant in Kurnool is getting just Rs 1200 as his monthly pension. As a result, the teachers and the other Government employees are restive and are deeply worried. I assured them that I would annul the contributory pension scheme. This was the reason why a large number of teachers were there to welcome me as I entered Kurnool district.

The teachers and the students of Mutyalapadu Government School met me. There is no toilet facility in the school. They also do not have access to safe drinking water. There are countless problems. Students of another school told me that the computers, installed in their school, are not in working condition for the last three years. Quality education with at least basic amenities is every child’s right. Yet, they were there to tell
me about their many problems. I was deeply pained on listening to their tales of
suffering on a day celebrated as Children’s Day. Today I walked 16 km and reached the outskirts of Krishnapuram.

I have a poser for the Chief Minister. He boastfully claims that he has his finger on the pulse of the people and that his computer screen tells him everything about the state. Were you able to provide minimum facilities to Government schools? What measures did you initiate to improve the standards in Government schools? Will you care to explain?

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