VIJAYAWADA: Reacting to the allegations and propaganda of YSRCP regarding the privatisation of 10 government medical colleges across the State, Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra on Monday clarified that no medical college in the State was being privatised and that they were only being developed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model at minimal cost.
He also strongly criticised YSRCP leaders, calling them “ignorant” for not knowing the difference between developing under the PPP model and privatisation.
He said while the government is developing medical colleges in the state at a lower cost through the PPP system, unable to tolerate this progress, YSRCP is spreading false propaganda.
While addressing the media in Machilipatnam, the minister said that the coalition government has been systematically reforming the systems in the state, working with sincerity to provide better benefits to the people.
Referring to the Machilipatnam Medical College, he said that only 30% of the work was completed during YSRCP’s tenure, whereas under the coalition government, 55% of the work had been finished.
The Minister affirmed that the government’s only goal was to provide quality medical education to the people of Machilipatnam. He recalled that it was during Telugu Desam Party’s rule in 1986 that NTR Health University was established. He pointed out that as Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu set up 22 medical colleges, and questioned how many colleges were established by YSRCP.
Ravindra explained that after the coalition government came into power, pensions were sanctioned to 64 lakh people.
“As promised in the elections, the government implemented the increased pensions from April, and by July each beneficiary received `7,000. Disabled persons received `6,000 and those bedridden were given `15,000 each. Through the Annadata Sukhibhava scheme, benefits reached 48 lakh farmers, and through the Thalliki Vandanam scheme, 67 lakh mothers received support. Schemes such as free bus travel for women and free gas cylinders are also being implemented effectively,” he stated.