VIJAYAWADA: Launching a broadside against the YSRC government for deciding to install electricity meters for agriculture pumpsets in the name of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), TDP supremo and Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu has accused Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of breaking his promises one after another.
Addressing a virtual press conference on Saturday, Naidu demanded that the government withdraw the order (GO MS no 22) saying that it is not DBT but a “hanging rope for farmers”.
Blaming the YSRC government for making huge debts and burdening the people besides pledging the assets of government, he said the government would be dethroned in the eventuality of simultaneous elections for Parliament and Assemblies in two years but it would cause more damage to the State in the meantime.
The government on an average makes debt to the tune of Rs 9 crore per hour, Rs 18 lakh for a minute and Rs 30,000 for a second, he alleged. He expressed doubts whether the government, which had to auction bonds to get funds from the RBI to pay wages to employees and pensions, would be in a position to pay Rs 2,000 as promised for Covid-19 patients on discharge from quarantine centres, Rs 5,000 promised to victims of Godavari floods and implement the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme for farmers.
Stating that it is high time for the people, particularly farmers, of the State and all other political parties to thwart the attempts of the YSRC government, he reminded Jagan that Andhra Pradesh people are not his slaves. Jagan has no moral authority to fix smart meters for agricultural pumpsets as he has not talked about this in his 2019 election manifesto, he said.
The TDP chief deplored that Jagan was betraying farmers in all programmes. Only Rs 7,500 was given to them as against the promise of Rs 12,500 made at the time of elections.
It would be wrong if the Chief Minister was taking AP people for granted and considering them as just slaves of his empty promises. The Amaravati farmers are fighting against a similar betrayal by the ruling party, he said.
