We Resolve To End Chandrababu’s Games Of Deception
Agiripalli, Krishna District: Melody, a Westerner who settled here two decades ago, met me today. She said that a leader who has the conviction to serve the rural poor, will earn the respect and affection of the masses. “I had heard about your work and your Padayatra. I’m very much impressed with the way in which you are not just lending a patient ear to them, but I see a determination to resolve their problems in you. I can see a true leader committed to serving the people in you,“ she said. Her words served as a source of inspiration to me. My conviction to serve the masses got strengthened even more.
Shaikh Azam approached me narrating the problems of pensioners. This elderly man told me that pensioners were issued health cards by the Chandrababu Naidu government which were of no use. A number of health conditions and diseases were not covered by these health cards because hospitals said that they did not figure in the list of ailments to be treated. “Sir, Arogyasri is not applicable to our health conditions. Health cards are of little use. Under these circumstances, at this age where do we go when we suffer from ill health? We feel scared to go to hospital.“ I could understand his anguish. I sympathised with his state because after all, he had served Andhra Pradesh for most of his life as a government servant and now in his old age, when state support is denied to him he feels helpless and lost.
Venkatesh Naik, a teacher, met me with his wife and two children. His face was a picture of sadness. He told me that his six-year-old son suffered from thalassaemia and the treatment costs Rs.25 lakhs, according to hospital estimates. “Sir, Arogyasri does not provide the required cover. We are forced to spend Rs.18,000 on medicines every month. My four-year-old daughter is ready to be a donor for bone marrow transplant. We could collect some more money through donations. We were sanctioned Rs. 3 lakhs from the Prime Minister‘s Relief fund. We wrote several times for assistance from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund without any success.”
The poor father wept as he said this, and his anguish left me numb. “When we approached the Chief Minister’s Office they promised to give a letter to the hospital which however, insists on a cheque.” Why would a hospital accept a letter when the chief minister is supposed to issue a cheque from his relief fund?
I held a review meeting with important leaders of the party and our MPs who sacrificed their posts and set on an indefinite hunger strike in the national capital for the cause of SCS to the state. All those parties which pledged their commitment at the time of bifurcation of the state should now accept responsibility and take forward the demand for Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh. The biggest culprit behind the state not getting SCS is none other than Chandrababu Naidu himself.
It is his deception which cost the state special category status. If all the 25 MPs of the state had resigned from the Lok Sabha and sat on an indefinite hunger strike, the Centre would have been compelled to rethink the matter of granting SCS to Andhra Pradesh. Instead, Chandrababu Naidu went on a token strike, conducted cycle rallies and meetings only to deceive people with his fraudulent tactics. We resolved once again to put an end to his games of deception at our review meeting.
I have a question for the chief minister-if a commoner takes ill and if his sickness is not covered by Arogyasri and if no assistance is forthcoming from the chief minister’s relief fund, what will happen to him? Is his life of no worth or value?
