YSRCP President and Opposition leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Saturday released the party’s manifesto, from their Tadepalli office.
The timing of the release of manifesto also coincide with the Telugus festival, which is celebrated with pomp and gaiety across the state, UGADI, the New Year.
The manifesto claims to focus to empower the marginalized sections of the society – women, farmers, daily wage earners, elderly or aged, SCs, STs, BCs and minorities.
It acknowledge the prevailing farm distress and lays out adequate steps to reverse the trend through “Rythu Bharosa” by providing investment support of Rs 12,500 per acre, free crop insurance, interest-free loans, building new godowns to store their produce, cold-storages (not to perish their produce) and food processing units.
Interestingly, most of the manifesto benefits are women-centric. They include; Rs 50,000 per annum for Dwakra women under “YSR Aasara” and interest payment for self-help groups, Rs 75,000 for BC, SC, ST, and minority women of over 45 years of age under ‘YSR Cheyutha.” “YSR Housing” under which only registration be done on women’s name, marriage support of up to Rs 1 lakh for SC, ST, BC and minority women, besides liquor prohibition (no clarity given).
The manifesto also promises “Universal Healthcare” coverage for lower and middle class under “Arogyasri”. This is meant for all those with less than Rs 5 lakh annual income.
Under the employment guarantee scheme, it promises at least 10 youths a job opportunity in every village secretariat. In addition to that of around 3.5 lakh village/ward volunteers’ will be receiving Rs 5,000 per month as honorarium.
If the party voted to power, the manifesto claims that the government will fill up all vacant 2.3 lakh posts, release pending fee reimbursement and also release an additional Rs 20,000 to take care of food and accommodation expenses.
To improve the plight of the elderly, the manifesto promises existing beneficiaries that their pensions will be increased to Rs 3,000 per month. For welfare of Backward Classes, the BC’s fund will be created with Rs 75,000 crore budget (to spend it judiciously over a period of five years). Similarly, another welfare fund will also be created separately for Kapus too.
Those depending on ‘occupational or caste-based’ professions like ‘barbers’, ‘tailors’, ‘washer-men’, ‘weavers’, ‘hawkers’, ‘vendors’, ‘fishermen’ and other professions, too will be suitably assisted to support themselves, the Manifesto added.