Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday directed officials to take all measures to protect Wakf properties.

“Conduct a comprehensive study on Wakf lands, build compound walls around the properties and look into possibilities if they can be constructed under employment guarantee programme,” he said.

Holding a review meeting on the issue at his camp office, he instructed officials to appoint home guards for security of wakf lands.

“Take suggestions from experts to which extent they can be utilised,” he said.

The Chief Minister told officials to conduct a survey on Wakf lands along with YSR Jaganna comprehensive land survey.

Similarly, Reddy directed officials to set up a Wakf Tribunal in Kurnool.

Meanwhile, officials informed the CM that 500 acres of Wakf lands were freed from encroachments after the YSRCP came to power.

Reddy also directed officials to open new cemeteries for minorities as a priority this year and ensure honorariums are being paid to imams, and pastors on time.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is said to be upset with the lackadaisical approach of some of his ministers in countering the criticism of his government. He is said to have taken a serious view of some ministers not even bothering about trying to deflect criticism. He is said to have asked as to why the ministers were silent even when the opposition was attacking them.

The Cabinet meeting reportedly saw YS Jagan in an angry mood. He is said to have asked some ministers why they did not respond to criticism by two BJP ministers. The CM reportedly referred to two BJP leaders, who were on an attack mode. He referred to the Pulichintala project game collapse issue and felt that the ruling party ministers could not counter the propaganda of the Opposition. He is said to have specifically asked three ministers for not responding to the opposition attack.

Meanwhile, several ministers in the YSRCP government are being accused of being silent on various issues. Even on issues that needed to be responded to, the ministers remained mute spectators. Sources say that several ministers are unsure of whether they would continue as ministers as YS Jagan is set to take up a massive rejig of his council of ministers. Unsure of their continuance, several ministers are not coming forward to defend the government.

YS Jagan reportedly told the ministers that he would personally monitor the inaction of the ministers on various issues. “Why are you not countering the TDP and BJP propaganda? What makes you remain silent,” he is said to have asked.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday directed officials to prepare and action plan to construct 4,530 digital libraries.

“Digital libraries will be setup in all the village panchayats across the state to prepare an action plan for the construction of 4,530 digital libraries,” said Reddy.

He held a review meeting on IT and digital libraries at his camp office and noted that these libraries should be useful to graduate students along with primary and secondary education.

The Chief Minister directed officials to make study material for common entrance tests available in these libraries, along with providing uninterrupted internet facility to village secretariats and rythu bharosa kendras (RBKs).

Reddy instructed officials to provide three desktops, UPS, desktop barcode printer, scanner, laser printer, software, anti-virus software, unlimited bandwidth internet along with minimum facilities in the digital libraries, including completing the construction of data centres for storage.

Similarly, he also directed officials to provide facilities such as three desktop tables, system chairs, visitor chairs, tube lights, fans, iron racks, newspapers and magazines in the digital libraries.

The state government will spend Rs 140 crore on these libraries in the first phase, which is expected to start on August 15.

Meanwhile, Reddy instructed officials to take measures to strengthen work from home (WFH) concept and provide high speed internet in villages.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday directed officials to give top priority to teachers in the vaccination programme as schools are set to reopen on August 16.

Reddy held a review meeting on the prevailing coronavirus pandemic situation in the state wherein he also called for expediting the ‘Nadu Nedu’ work in hospitals within the stipulated time.

“Complete the vaccination process to teachers soon and ensure that Covid protocols are strictly followed,” said the Chief Minister.

He instructed officials to ensure that large crowds are avoided and not more than 150 people allowed to attend weddings, even as they raise awareness on Covid containment measures.

Reddy directed the same at religious events and called on people to adopt all precautions and stay alert in the coming two months.

“Conduct only RTPCR tests as they are more accurate compared to other tests andcontinue door to door surveys, testing people with symptoms and monitor 104 services regularly for uninterrupted services,” he noted.

The Chief Minister directed officials to connect village clinics with PHCs through video conference and linking them with the labs as well.

He directed health records of people to be mapped in the villages and those details should be available at village clinics through Aarogyasri cards which can be known using QR code of Aarogyasri cards.

“These details will help the doctors visiting villages as part of family doctor concept,” he said and instructed officials to complete the works of village clinics by December.

When officials informed Reddy that MLHPs who completed BSc nursing and CPCH courses will be appointed in the village clinics along with ANMs, Reddy said Asha workers should also report in the same clinics.

According to officials, 12 types of primary treatment methods, 14 types of tests and 65 types of medicines will be available at the village clinics.

Likewise, 67 types of basic medical equipment will be available, including telemedicine services.

Meanwhile, officials informed the CM that work has been started for medical colleges in Paderu, Vizianagaram, Piduguralla and Machilipatnam.

However, a couple of public interest litigations (PILs) were filed against the land parcels of Anakapalli and Nandyala medical colleges.

Similarly, the contractors are preparing to start work in Amalapuram, Rajahmundry, Palakollu, Eluru, Bapatla, Markapuram, Madanapalle, Penukonda and Adoni.

“Pay special attention to the ‘Nadu Nedu’ programme in the health sectors… prepare an action plan in this regard. Government hospitals should be on par with corporate hospitals such that government employees also should choose government hospitals over private hospitals for treatment,” the CM added.

Reddy directed officials to prepare an SOP defining ownership policies, including focusing on hospital maintenance.

The ruling YSRCP these days is worried about MP RaghuramakrishnamRaju or even Jagan’s bête noire Chandrababu Naidu. It is more worried about an MLA from its own party. This MLA is so low profile that not even his own party leaders outside his constituency know him. He is a silent, blink-and-you-miss kind of person who has never been in the news.

This MLA is Chenna Keshava Reddy of Yemmiganuru. Though a four-time MLA, he is largely unknown because of his low profile attitude. He is not known to make comments or address press meets. But, this MLA has suddenly made comments that have sent tremors across the state. The YSRCP Is now worried that his comments might offend carefully nurtured soft Hindu and pro-Dalit image of the YSRCP.

During the recent Bakrid festival of the Muslims, Hindu organizations have strongly opposed the butchering of cows citing the anti-cow slaughter laws in the state and the country. This led to a communal clash, in which one person suffered injuries. Soon after this incident, the usually silent and non-reactive MLA called for a press conference and spoke in support of cow slaughter. He said the anti-cow slaughter laws were outdated and that they should be repealed. This has led to a state-wide furore. This was a shock to YS Jagan, who was very systematically trying to wipe off the anti-Hindu image using some swamijis.

But, he also knows that it is impossible to make Chennakeshava Reddy eat his own words. So, he kept quiet and reportedly instructed his party leaders not to comment on Chenna Keshava Reddy’s anti-cow worship comments. Last month too, Chenna Keshava Reddy criticized the Dalits for intruding into public land in the name of the construction of a church. This has angered the Dalit voters and the party is worried about this too.

It feels comments by Chenna Keshava Reddy might damage the party’s image and could hurt the carefully built image of being a soft Hindu. However, it also knows that Chenna Keshava Reddy is a tough nut to crack and it is difficult to make him retract his comments. So, it is simply waiting for the controversy to subside.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday announced a compensation of Rs 3 lakh each to six migrant labourers from Odisha, who died in Guntur district recently.

“Reddy directed the concerned officials to give Rs 3 lakh each to the deceased migrant labourers’ kin,” said an official.

The Chief Minister said the compensation should be handed over as a humanitarian gesture to the labourers’ kin, considering that they came to the state in search of livelihood.

Similarly, Reddy also instructed the concerned officials to ensure that the owners of the shrimp ponds who engaged the labourers also pay compensation to the labourers’ kin.

The six workers from Odisha were found dead near a shrimp pond in Lankavanidibba village in Guntur district on Thursday night.

The police are investigating the cause of death of the six men who were working in the shrimp ponds.

Some locals are suspecting that the workers could have died of electrocution, suspecting the power lines to have fallen on their shed. Burn injuries were also found on the bodies of the deceased workers.

The six men came to the district in search of livelihood only a few months ago.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy today (Thursday) transferred Rs 694 crore to the bank accounts of mothers of students under Jagananna Vidya Deevena scheme.

Jagan government is paying Rs 20,000 to each student per year to pursue degree and engineering courses in AP.

The government released first installment of Rs 671crore in April this year.

Second installment was released today.

Third installment will be released in December and last installment in February 2022.

Jagan said despite severe financial crisis due to Covid, he is committed to implement these welfare schemes for the benefit of poor.

Jagan said poverty can be overcome only through education and his government will ensure higher education for free for poor students in AP.

The YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh led by Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy has pushed the state into bankruptcy since coming to power two years ago in May 2019.

Jagan’s cash dole out schemes in the name of Navaratnalu to consolidate his party’s vote bank has pushed AP into debt trap.

Hardly a day passes for Jagan government without taking loans to make payments.

Against this backdrop, everyone lost confidence on Jagan government that it will pay bills for works done by contractors.

The Jagan government issued tenders recently to repair roads lying in worst condition in AP for the last two years. But no contractor is coming forward to take up works fearing that Jagan government has no money to pay bills.

Contractors are insulting Jagan government by asking bank guarantee for payment of bills.

Contractors insist that Jagan government take loans from banks and banks release funds to them directly as they have no confidence that Jagan government will pay if banks release funds to state government.

Officials say this amounts to contractors humiliating Jagan government as bankrupt government because no where in the country banks pay directly to contractors.

Andhra Pradesh is in the throes of a deep economic crisis. Even paying the monthly salaries of the government employees has become a huge problem. Implementing the flagship welfare programmes has become a major challenge for YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Every month, the state government is going with a begging bowl even for paying the salaries of the employees.

Given this situation, how will the government of YS Jagan implement its other election time and Padayatra time promises? During the Praja Sankalpa Yatra, YS Jagan had repeatedly said that he would constitute several new districts for better administrative control. He said that this move will bring the government closer to the people. Soon after coming to power, he began holding consultations with senior officers, district incharge ministers and district collectors. He had even constituted a committee under the leadership of the then CS and current election commissioner Neelam Sahni.

However, the financial problems have made him go slow on this. Sources said that the Telangnana experience has mellowed him down. In Telangana, providing quarters, building and other infrastructural facilities has turned out to be a huge burden. Provision of vehicles too was a problem. The administration is also unable to allocate IAS officers for managing the affairs in the newly carved out districts. It is being said that Jagan now has second thoughts over this.

But, YS Jagan is also said to be worried about the political fallout of not carving out the new districts. The consultations and the committee formation on this issue have raised hopes among the people and have hiked the land prices in the proposed district districts. If Jagan backtracks on this issue, there could be public outcry over this. So, this issue of devolution has become something of being caught between the devil and the deepsea.

The issue of appointing an unusually large number of advisors to the Andhra Pradesh Government has now become controversial. There are over 41 such advisors to CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on various issues and different sectors. Though the other governments too have their own set of advisors, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Government has appointed a large number of advisors.

While there is no way of knowing what YS Jagan is doing with these advices and also whether these advisors are proffering any advice at all, each of these advisors have swanky offices with fully furnished facilities, staff and attendants. The salary of each advisor is said to be around Rs 2 lakh. These advisors are functioning from Hyderabad, Delhi, Vijayawada, Amaravati and even Visakhapatnam.

For instance, a media advisor of YS Jagan is functioning from New Delhi. He is also found making political comments. Jagan has an NRI affairs advisor, who has never toured a country in the past two years. He functions from both Hyderabad and Vijayawada and has two offices. Jagan’s political advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy has a political responsibility as he is a party functionary too.

Given these, the AP High Court took a serious view of appointing so many adviors at a time when the state government is facing severe fund crunch and is finding it difficult to pay even the salaries of its employees. Now that the High Court has severely reprimanded the Government, will there be a change of attitude? Let’s wait and see.