VIJAYAWADA : Maintaining that Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy is simply cheating the elders by calling them ‘Avva Thatha’, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday suspected a conspiracy by the ruling YSRC behind not distributing the old-age pension for the beneficiaries at their doorsteps.
The pension that has to be distributed to the old is being paid by Jagan to his own contractors, Naidu alleged during a teleconference with the booth-level TDP activists.
“Jagan for his own political gain has been resorting to propaganda that the TDP is creating hurdles for pension distribution, which is totally false,” he said and clarified that TDP has not made any request to anyone including the Election Commission of India (ECI) to keep away volunteers from pension distribution.
The TDP supremo also said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) should initiate steps in this regard and direct the District Collectors, tehsildars, and other officials to take necessary measures to distribute the pension immediately. “In just 15 days, Jagan has diverted `13,000 crore emptying the exchequer. The pension can be distributed in a single day across the State through village secretariat employees which Jagan did not utilise the opportunity but is passing the buck on to the TDP,” Naidu alleged.
Stating that the TDP stand on the volunteers is very clear, he asked the volunteers not to work in favour of the YSRC and assured that the party will take care of their future. However, Naidu warned he will make sure that the people violating the poll code are punished.
He mentioned that the overwhelming response to Praja Galam meetings indicate that NDA, of which TDP is now a part, will be coming to power in the State as the people are vexed with the Jagan government’s rule.
On what his government will do once it comes to power, Chandrababu Naidu said the first thing will be to enhance social security pensions to Rs 4,000 per month. At the same time, he demanded the government to come clean on the bill payments made in the last 15 days.