Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday accused the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of unleashing a disinformation campaign against his government's welfare programmes like the pension scheme and YSR Cheyutha by distorting facts. Citing what he called 'utterly distorted' reports appearing in a section of media on the pension scheme he had announced during his padayatra, he said the government was bound by its promises.
“Next year on July 8, which happened to be YSR jayanthi, the pension amount would be increased by ₹250, in 2022 another ₹250 and in 2023, yet another ₹250, taking the total sum to the promised ₹3,000,” he explained.
He played an old video clip of his election speech made at Kuppam and a few other places in the House to substantiate his claim that he had never deviated from his promise on the pension scheme.
The Chief Minister said his objective was to mitigate the financial woes of the sections that needed assistance. Contrary to the YSRCP ideals, he said, Mr. Candrababu Naidu government had issued a GO just two months before the elections on enhancement of pension to ₹2,000.
He said currently, more than 61 lakh beneficiaries were receiving a pension of ₹2,250 with the allocated funds for the purpose to the tune of ₹1,448 crore.
Unable to digest the fact that despite financial problems, the government had not compromised on any of its promises, the TDP was resorting to a disinformation campaign using a few vernacular media organisations, said the Chief Minister.
YSR Cheyutha
He said same was the case with the YSR Cheyutha programme launched with the aim of equipping women from the SC, ST and Minority communities with financial aid. “Under this scheme, a financial benefit of ₹75,000 is provided to the women who belong to the 45-60 year age group, over a period of four years in equal instalments of ₹18,750 each year.”
He said people should understand the sinister plans of the Opposition TDP and teach it a fitting lesson.
