Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy formally gave away Seva Mitra, Seva Ratna and Seva Vajra awards to the best village and ward secretariat volunteers.

Addressing the gathering at Phirangipuram on Thursday, the Chief Minister saluted them saying they are his young army that has been extending selfless service with unflinching commitment and delivering welfare benefits of various schemes transparently to the beneficiaries since 2019.

“While the corrupt Janma Bhoomi Committees during the TDP rule exploited people seeking bribes for releasing monthly social pensions and benefits of other welfare schemes besides working with nepotism and bias, you are extending selfless service to the poor as my brand ambassadors and future leaders though working for meagre sum,” he said.

Describing the Janma Bhoomi committees as ganja plants that destroyed the system, he said that the biased and corrupt policies of the TDP rule ensued its defeat in the 2019 elections.

In contrast, the volunteers, working like tulasi plants, have revolutionised the delivery system of welfare benefits replacing the corrupt system with a transparent and unbiased way, he said, adding that volunteers will play key role in YSRCP victory in the forthcoming elections,

“With your cooperation and dedicated service only, Government has been able to distribute funds worth Rs.2, 55,000crore through DBT welfare schemes and Rs. 1,07,000crore (Rs. 1, 76,000crore including the house site pattas) through non-DBT schemes in the last 58 months despite Covid-19 blues and reduced revenues from the Centre,” he said.

He urged the volunteers to campaign about the false and misleading election promises of TDP and its allies and spread the message that a vote for the opposition would wind up the welfare schemes.

TDP manifesto, full of false promises, is a mixed version of the election manifesto of other parties, and is likely to be thrown into the dustbin post-elections. The YSRCP election manifesto took birth from the sweat and aspirations of the people, he said, adding that the last 58 months have proved its commitment towards it.

“Being my confidants, you have ensured the delivery of welfare benefits at the doorstep of people all these months and have changed the gamut of village administration, You have also become responsible for the YSRCP victory in all local bodies and by-elections after 2019. I am sure you will pave the way for its victory in the 2024 elections also with your selfless service,” he told them.

Describing the volunteer system as the backbone of the welfare programmes, he said the entire country has been observing its functioning with inspiration.

The Chief Minister asked the volunteers to become his star campaigners and also turn the people into another set of YSRCP star campaigners for bringing victory to it while thwarting the vicious and malicious propaganda of the jealous TDP and its friendly media.

“TDP is working with the support of foster son, its fully biased-friendly media and with the direct and indirect support of national parties while I am depending on you and God,” he said.

In response to the MLA Sucharita’s appeal, the Chief Minister sanctioned Rs. 39 crore for constructing ghat road to the Carmel Matha shrine on Phirangipuram Hill.

He also said that as per her request, the special monthly pension for the 17,000 families affected in the Capital region would be enhanced from Rs. 2500 to Rs. 5000 from next month onwards.

Cash Awards

Government will distribute Rs. 392.05crore as cash awards to 2,55, 464 volunteers as a token of appreciation for rendering yeoman service in extending the benefits of various welfare programmes to the people at their doorstep. The felicitation programme will continue for seven days across the State in a festive atmosphere.

Under the programme implemented for the fourth consecutive year, a certificate, shawl and badge along with a cash prize of Rs.15,000, Rs. 30,000 and Rs. 45,000 are presented to the Seva Mitra, Seva Ratna and Seva Vajra volunteers while medals are also given to the best volunteers of the last two categories.

During the last three years, cash prizes of Rs.10,000, Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 30,000 were presented to the Seva Mitra, Seva Ratna and Seva Vajra volunteers while the prize amounts were increased by Rs. 5000, Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 15,000 respectively in the fourth year.

While 2, 50, 439 volunteers are selected for the Seva Mitra awards, Seva Ratna and Seva Vajra awards would be presented to 4,150 and 875 volunteers respectively.

Apart from felicitating the meritorious volunteers, Government will also award special cash prizes of Rs.15,000, Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 25,000 each at Mandal (or Municipality or Corporation), constituency and district level respectively to 997 volunteers who have displayed extraordinary talents in collecting the opinion of beneficiaries of the YSR Pension Kanuka, Aasara and others welfare schemes.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy stated that Government had implemented welfare schemes and took up development activities with financial discipline despite adverse situations like Covid, inheriting strained and complex status from the previous TDP rule and he pooh-poohed Chandrababu Naidu’s tall promises ahead of elections as the Opposition leader carries the blemish of dumping manifesto into dustbin while YSRCP treats it as a holy book.

Replying to the discussion on the Motion of thanks to Governor’s address in the Assembly here on Tuesday, the Chief Minister also dismissed the charges that Government has made State debt-ridden and said that the State had rolled out DBT welfare schemes worth Rs 2,55,000 crore and non-DBT welfare schemes worth Rs. 1,07,000 crores. The previous government too had the same budget, but it could not deliver welfare as the difference speaks in the commitment of the Chief Ministers then and now.

He said that the debt of the residual Andhra Pradesh which stood at Rs 1,53,000 crore including all types of loans at the time of bifurcation had gone up to Rs 4,12,288 crore in 2019 when YSRCP came to power.

Now, the total debt stands at Rs 7,03,000 crore and it clearly indicates that the growth rate of debt during the TDP rule stood at 21.87 per cent, it stands at 12.13 per cent during the last 5 years, he said, adding that not even a single welfare scheme was implemented during the TDP rule though the budget was the same and the debt-growth rate was higher.

Braving the odds of reduction in devolution of Central funds and reduced tax revenues during the last five years due to several reasons including the Covid-19 pandemic that resulted in Rs 66,116 crore revenue loss, Government has excelled in fiscal discipline, debt management, planning and implementation of slew of welfare schemes transparently.

The Chief Minister recalled that the state was bifurcated in an unjust manner allocating 50 per cent of the revenues to Telangana that represented 42 per cent of the population and the remaining 50 per cent to residual Andhra Pradesh that has 58 per cent population putting the State to a yearly revenue loss of Rs 13,000 crore.

Coming down heavily against the TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu for making false election promises for political gains, he said that Government needs to spend around more than Rs. 1, 26,000crore annually for fulfilling them.

When we are striving hard to implement DBT and non-DBT welfare schemes worth around Rs. 70,000 crores annually, how can Chandrababu Naidu mobilize Rs. 1, 26,000crore on his false promises, he questioned.

Like a copycat, Naidu made mix of six election promises at will and pleasure picking them up from the election manifestoes of other parties that won in other states with a view to cheat the people again, the Chief Minister said.

Debunking the theory of wealth creation advocated by the TDP friendly media for implementing the impracticable promises, the Chief Minister asked why Naidu failed in creating wealth during his earlier tenures.

While Chandrababu Naidu stands for lies, this Government stands for credibility, he said, adding that the TDP was shown the door in 2019 with just 23 seats as people understood his nature of telling lies and cheating the people.

Asserting that Naidu only pursued the policy of plunder, stash and devour during his rule, the Chief Minister appealed to the people to think over why Naidu failed to implement even a single welfare scheme during his rule while the budget was the same.

Like the old hungry tiger, Naidu has been throwing the bait to the people with false promises to cheat them once again, he said, adding that people still remember how Naidu defaulted on the loan waiver Rs. 87,612 crore.

“I sat in the Opposition for five years for not making the false promise of farm loan waiver prior to 2014 elections but I have no regrets for that. I make only promises that can be fulfilled for the benefit of the people,” he said, asserting that YSRCP won a permanent place in the hearts of the people with its credibility.

Despite the heavy financial odds, we have implemented more than 99 per cent of our election promises, and our credibility will ensure that YSRCP will clean sweep the elections and introduce the full-fledged budget in the Assembly after three months, the Chief Minister asserted.