Manthani MLA Duddilla Sridhar Babu celebrates YSR's birth anniversary

Peddapalli: Former Minister and Manthani MLA Duddilla Sridhar Babu paid rich tributes to former AP CM late YS Rajasekhar Reddy on the occasion of his 73rd birth anniversary on Friday.

"Rajasekhar Reddy stood as a saviour to the poor students by providing free higher education. After taking oath as the Chief Minister for the first time, YSR waived the loans of the farmers and gave free electricity to the farmers," he said addressing the party workers.

Aarogyasri was introduced for the sick and corporate medical care was provided to the common man at the expense of the government exchequer. In terms of education, YSR was credited with starting a large number of universities in the entire State of Andhra Pradesh.

YSR was the person who started the fee reimbursement programme which was not available in any State and stood by the students of the poor and weaker sections. But now the fee reimbursement programme was running at a snail's pace under the Telangana government and students were facing severe difficulties, Sridhar Babu complained.

In the name of Indiramma Housing, the YSR government built pukka houses for the homeless. Late leader Rajasekhar Reddy worked till his last breath to bring smiles to the faces of the poor by setting up ambulances like 108 and 104, he added.

When the international level of oil prices increased, even though the Congress government had to face a burden on the treasury, Rajasekhar Reddy was credited with giving a subsidy of 25 rupees on cooking gas, the former minister said.