YSRC govt spent 3.21 lakh crore for BCs in three years, claims BC minister Krishna
VIJAYAWADA: BC Welfare Minister Chelluboina Venugopala Krishna said on Friday that the YSR Congress government spent Rs 3.21 lakh crore for BC welfare in the past three years.
“A battle between the poor and the rich is on in AP state. On the decisive day in Kurukshetra, Vasudeva fought by the side of Dharma. Similarly, CM Jagan is fighting on the side of the poor today whereas former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu supported the wealthy classes,” he said.
The minister alleged that Naidu used BCs as vote banks, never worked for their welfare, and “he is responsible for the poor condition of the BCs” in the state.
Krishna said the BCs recognized the betrayal done to them during the 14-year rule of Naidu as CM, under which period “they were left behind by 11 generations in matters of growth and development.”
“Hence the BCs supported the YSRC in the last assembly and other elections,” he claimed.
The minister said Naidu wanted BCs to remain in debt while CM Jagan feels BCs should live a debt-free life. “Accordingly, Jagan is implementing many welfare programmes for BCs. The programmes of the YSRC government has benefited every poor among the 139 BC castes across the state,” he said.
He said the state government provided funds to BCs through DBT and Non-DBT modes. BCs received Rs 3.21 lakh crore thus, he claimed.
The minister said the Naidu government had spent only Rs 1600 crore for the BCs in its five years of tenure post bifurcation, which showed the “negligence of BCs” during the Telugu Desam government.
He objected to the “false and misleading propaganda” of TD about BCs and the 56 corporations. During the TD term, BC corporations were established just before the elections only to deceive the BCs, he said.
Krishna said that in the Jagan-led cabinet, 45 per cent of the ministers, or 11 of them, are BCs. There are four Rajya Sabha members and six Lok Sabha members. There are 31 MLAs, 12 MLCs and 109 corporation chairmen from the BCs. This apart, 873 corporation directors, 9 ZP chairmen, 98 municipal corporation chairmen, 76 agricultural marketing committee chairmen, 50 per cent temple committee chairmen, 9 mayors, 215 ZPTCs, 2791 MPTCs, 3985 sarpanches and about 60,000 ward members are BCs, he claimed.
