Jala Kala is another betrayal of Jagan: Yanamala

Amaravati: The poor would not get benefits from the newly launched YSR Jalakala scheme, observed the opposition TDP on Monday. Yanamala Ramakrihnudu, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council and TDP senior leader slammed the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government by saying that it has been deceiving the farmers with false promises like free power and free pump sets without transferring the real benefits in the field level.

Ramakrishnudu said that the Jagan government unveiled the Jala Kala programme to impose a burden on the farmers. It is an attempt to betray farmers in the name of giving 2 lakh free pump sets by spending Rs. 2,340 Cr in the next four years.

The Opposition Leader said that the Government already dealt a severe blow by fixing meters on the existing pump sets and farm connections. The escrow accounts were being opened only to rob the farmers of their Rs. 4,000 Cr benefit under the free power scheme. On the other hand, power bills were increased by three to four times which imposed a burden of Rs. 4,000 Cr on the people.

Ramakrishnudu informed that after Jagan came to power in the State, a burden of Rs. 10,000 Cr was placed on the farmers and poorer sections. The free power scheme was being used to punish the farmers in an indirect way. The new promise to give 2 lakh pump sets was undoubtedly a clear gimmick to mislead the people. In every new scheme, the ruling YSRCP leaders were committing a scam running into misuse of hundreds and thousands of crores of rupees, he criticised.

Stating that the people were caught in financial and health crisis, Ramakrishnudu said that nobody was coming forward to extend financial assistance to rescue the needy sections from the Coronavirus impact. The farmers were badly hit both in terms of getting trapped in greater debts for lack of farm income and also due to unbearable costs of virus treatments. The poorer sections were leading miserable lives due to lack of work opportunities, wages, and financial assistance, he added.