"YSR was a beacon of hope to the disabled": Vijayamma

The honorary president of the YSRCP, Vijayamma said that former Chief Minister the late Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy, had a vision for the welfare of the disabled and that during his tenure, 8.55 lakh disabled individuals were granted a monthly pension of Rs. 500.

In contrast, under the Chandrababu regime the disabled were given a measly Rs. 75 by the government and that too on a quarterly basis. She pointed out that under YSR  the number of the disabled who were granted pension grew eight-fold because of his abiding concern for their cause.
Vijayamma was speaking to a delegation of representatives of the disabled led by Manda Krishna Madiga, which had called on her to invite her to be the Chief Guest at a convention to be held on Tuesday next. She said that the late Dr. YSR had great concern for the poor and wanted to see the needy and deprived be cheerful and smiling. She added that this was amply reflected in the fact that while Babu's government had allocated Rs. 9 crores for the welfare of the disabled, the late Dr. YSR hiked this budget to Rs. 496 crores. He had also raised the grant given by the government to handicapped individuals on the occasion of their marriage, from Rs. 3000 to Rs. 10000. She assured representatives from the delegation that YS Jaganmohan Reddy would emulate his father in this respect.

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