Former Ministers Dharmana Prasada Rao and Tammineni Sitaram on Friday said that the government would face wrath of poor people if it failed to implement Arogyasri scheme in a proper manner. They alleged that the government was not releasing arrears to the hospitals and making them not to take up new operations under the scheme.
YSR Congress organised a protest at the Srikakulam Collectorate for effective implementation of the scheme.
Party district president Reddi shanti, senior leaders Andhavarapu Suribabu, spoksperson Yenni Dhanunjay and others alleged that thousands of patients of Srikakulam district were moving in vain around hospitals in Visakhapatnam.
Later, the leaders submitted a memorandum to Srikakulam Collector P.Lakshmi Narasimham.
In Chittoor, party activists led by Punganur MLA and party general secretary Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy staged a protest in front of the Collectorate, demanding that the State government strengthen the Arogyasri scheme.
Addressing activists, Mr. Ramachandra Reddy said the TDP government would soon realise its folly and face the wrath of people vexed with the government for utterly neglecting the free health scheme.
He said that with the government not clearing dues to private hospitals to the tune of several crores of rupees, they were not admitting patients, who failed to get quality medicare at government hospitals.
He said that the agitation would be intensified.
YSRCP leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, Chandragiri MLA C. Bhaskar Reddy, party district president K. Narayanaswamy and cadres from all over the district were present.
In Vizianagaram, party activists took out a massive rally and staged a dharna at the Collector’s Office. MLC and district party president Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy led the protesters.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Swamy alleged that it was not correct to release grants to corporate hospitals that offered bribes. Even 104 and 108 services too are not available to the poor in time. He alleged that the government’s failure to control migration had resulted in the death of two persons from the district in Nanakramguda building collapse incident in Hyderabad.
MLAs P. Rajaanna Dora and P. Pushpa Srivani criticised the government for releasing only ₹280 crore against the required ₹1,200 crore for Arogyasri. P. Sambasiva Raju, the party central committee member, and others participated.
