Transport minister Botsa Satyanarayana on Saturday admitted that the 9-hour free supply of power and the 6 kg rice distribution was not implemented in 2009 because of financial crisis on account of the global meltdown.
The minister pointed out that in 2004, as soon as YSR took over as chief minister, he had sanctioned the 7-hour free power supply scheme and the following day the relevant GO was issued.
In 2009, when the Congress returned to power the YSR government had announced the free 9-hour power supply scheme and the enhancement of rice supply from 4 kg to 6 kg to the poor, but the GO on these promises did not come out.
Rebutting former Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy's charge that the Congress had not implemented the promises made by late YSR in the 2009 election manifesto, Botsa told media persons at the Secretariat that Jagan could well check with YSR's advisors as to why the relevant GO was not issued during his reign.
Clarifying further on this, the minister said that it was due to the global meltdown which had an adverse affect on the state's financial position.
"But we are examining the issue in the right perspective and waiting for a suitable occasion to implement it after discussions with the farmers and people," Botsa said.
Stating that "we are the real successors to YSR," the minister asked Jagan whether it was reasonable to pursue politics based on the late YSR's concern for the poor and his schemes, thereby tarnishing his image.
Botsa said that Jagan's newspaper and television channel were speaking against YSR.
He also said that the Congress was not afraid of his print and electronic media instruments. The minister questioned Jagan as to which scheme of YSR was stalled.
Referring to Jagan's
proposal for a hunger strike, the minister said that hunger strikes are "a fashion" that all and sundry were now indulging in to
find favour with farmers.
Referring to Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu's
hunger strike, Botsa said that it was unfortunate that Naidu took to the stir to dramatise the entire situation when farmers were suffering from an unprecedented losses due to the recent floods.
"I stand by my word," said the minister, stating that the TDP leader was "engaged in a drama and daydreaming of returning to power".
Courtesy: INN