Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy shares credit with PM for AP’s version of farm payout plan

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, unlike his predecessor N. Chandrababu Naidu, clearly wants to maintain cordial relations with the Centre, for obvious reasons.

The fact that Mr Reddy yielded to the BJP’s demand and included the name of the Central government scheme PM Kisan in YSR Rythu Bharosa scheme that he launched in Nellore on Tuesday is being seen as an indicator.

The state unit of the BJP had been demanding the state government include the Prime Minister’s name in the much-hyped Rythu Bharosa scheme. Under the scheme, the state government will be paying Rs 13,500 to around 53 lakh farmers as input cost. Of this amount, Rs 6,000 is the Central grant under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi.

State BJP leaders have been insisting that since the Rythu Bharosa will have a Central government component, the scheme should also have the PM’s name. Though state BJP leaders had raised similar demands when the party was in coalition with TD in the state, the previous TD government did not yield to their pressure.

Mr Reddy appears to be in no mood to antagonise the Centre.

In another such indicator, YSRC leaders take no time to counter TD’s allegations on any issue, but keep quiet when it comes to criticism by BJP leaders. This has been true even when the criticism has been quite shrill on issues like sand scarcity, lack of work for construction workers, no progress on Polavaram project etc.

But for now, Mr Reddy’s decision has brought cheers to the BJP leaders in the state.

“Happy that the state government will give a matching grant of Rs 6,000 each to farmers under YSR Rythu Bharosa–PM Kisan. The present state government, unlike the previous government, should add a Central scheme name for implementing any state-level scheme using Union government funds,” said BJP AP president Kanna Lakshminarayana.

Mr Reddy formally launched scheme at Kakuturu near Nellore on Tuesday to coincide with World Food Day.

He that 54 lakh farmers, including tenant farmers belonging to SC, ST and the minority communities, would benefit.