KAKINADA: Reiterating his commitment to the welfare of fishermen in the State, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday disbursed Rs 109 crore as the Marine Fishing Ban Period (April 15 to June 14) relief under the YSR Matsyakara Bharosa scheme for the fourth consecutive year.
At a public meeting organised at Muramalla village in Konaseema district, he directly credited the amount into the bank accounts of 1,08,755 fishermen families. Each family got Rs 10,000. Another Rs 108 crore will be credited into the bank accounts of 23,458 fishermen families in 69 villages of Kakinada and Konaseema districts, who lost their livelihood for four months due to pipeline laying activities of ONGC.
Jagan said he considers SCs, STs, BCs, minorities and the poor among upper castes as his own people and women as his sisters. The State government launched 32 schemes for the welfare and economic uplift of the poor people, he reminded.
Citing Malladi Satyalingam Nayakar, who strove for the welfare of poor people in Konaseema through his charitable trust, the Chief Minister said such people are inspiration for his government to do good to the people. The Matsyakara Bharosa was launched to support the fishermen during the lean period from mid-April to mid-June. The government has spent Rs 419 crore under the Matsyakara Bharosa so far benefitting thousands of families, he explained.
Recalling the plight of fishermen during the TDP regime, he said the previous government had compensated only 12,178 families by paying Rs 2,000 each in 2014-15. “Just before 2019 elections, the compensation was increased to Rs 4,000 and provided to 80,000 beneficiaries,” he said, adding that the Matsyakara Bharosa was launched in 2019 increasing the aid from Rs 4,000 to Rs 10,000.
Urging people to compare the welfare schemes initiated by his government with that of the previous regime, Jagan said the government had increased the fuel subsidy from Rs 6 to Rs 9 per litre, which can be redeemed instantly at the recognised oil filling stations and smart cards were provided to fishermen for availing the subsidy
. In case of accidental death, the government enhanced the ex gratia from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh to support the bereaved family. In all, 116 fishermen families have been provided the ex gratia so far, he elaborated.
Further, to create more job opportunities for fishermen in the State, the Chief Minister said nine new fishing harbours and four fish landing centres are being established at a cost of Rs 4,000 crore. Under the Fish Andhra initiative, 76 aqua hubs, 14,000 retail outlets are being set up at a cost of Rs 333 crore.
In the last 35 months, Rs 1.4 lakh crore has been credited into the bank accounts of beneficiaries various schemes through Direct Benefit Transfer. The list of beneficiaries is being displayed at village/ward secretaries for social audit so as to promote greater transparency, he said
“There is a stark difference between the previous TDP regime and the present YSRC government. We do not discriminate against people and our focus is on providing welfare benefits to everyone who deserves it,” he said, while lambasting TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and a section of the media supporting him for their unwarranted criticism against the government.
Taking a dig at Naidu, he said the person who failed to own a home in Kuppam though he represented the constituency as an MLA for 27 years, is now constructing a house after seeing the three-year welfare governance of YSRC.
The ruling YSRC MLAs and public representatives have taken up a door-to-door campaign to inform people about various welfare schemes being implemented by the government and its achievements in the last 35 months as it fulfilled most of the election promises, he said.
He alleged that unable to digest the welfare initiatives launched by the YSRC government, the opposition had conspired to defame it and mislead people. “If there is any health disorder, we can treat it under Aarogyasri, but only the God can treat those suffering with jealousy,” Jagan observed.