Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy’s announcement of “Bangaru Talli” scheme for all-round development of women appears to have not gone down well with some senior Ministers who took objection to the “unilateral manner” in which it was announced.
Health Minister D.L. Ravindra Reddy said the operational guidelines including the way the Government proposed to implement it was not discussed in the Cabinet.
“I was not informed about the launch of such a scheme,” he told reporters on Wednesday. Dr. Ravindra Reddy, who called on AP Congress president Botcha Satyanarayana, said similar schemes were launched in the past, but they were not implemented in the due course.
Advice to people
Citing an example, he said former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had announced in 2005 that every woman would be made a “lakhpati”. However, the scheme remained on paper for two years and it was revived only after he ( Dr. Ravindra Reddy) raised the issue. Later bonds were issued to girls.
Asserting that he was not opposed to the Bangaru Talli scheme, he said he would call upon the people to grill the Congress leaders if it was not implemented effectively.
The APCC chief, who holds the Transport portfolio, too appeared upset but reacted guardedly when asked about the criticism of the scheme by the party leaders. “I should know about the scheme. Let me study and understand it before reacting to the criticism,” he said. Panchayat Raj Minister K. Jana Reddy advised the Chief Minister to take the Cabinet into confidence before taking crucial decisions or announcing important schemes, whether it was Bayyaram mines or “Bangaru Talli”. The Minister who was reacting to the controversy over allotment of iron ore from Bayyaram to RINL plant at Visakhapatnam faulted the manner in which the announcements were being made “unilaterally”.
He said it would be in the interest of all to discuss the issues in the Cabinet, representing all the regions, before taking major decisions.
