The Plight Of The Poor In AP: YS Jagan Has A Story 

Palakollu (West Godavari): Leader of Opposition in Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and YSR Congress Party President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that as the elections were approaching, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has started new theatrics. Speaking at a massive public meeting organised as part of public outreach programme Praja Sankalpa Yatra here today, he narrated a story which describes the problems that the state was facing over the last four years.

The YSRCP Chief said that he would narrate how a poor family was affected by Chandrababu's misdeeds and lies. He started: Once upon a time, there was an MLA. One night, there happened to be a huge sound in his house. The MLA, along with his family, woke up to the sound wondering what happened. They found a man sitting in the corner of their kitchen. The MLA recognised him. He was Narasaiah. Are you the thief Narasaiah, the MLA asked him. "Yes sir, I am the thief," he said. The MLA said: "You have an educated son, is he not taking care of you?"

'Yes sir my son studied engineering. Unfortunately the present rulers are not paying the fees properly. This led to me taking Rs 3 lakhs loan within three years. To clear that loan I sold one acre of land of the four acres. The rulers were not providing farm loan waiver nor waiver on gold loan. In order to clear interests and loans I sold another two acres. Later, I took another loan from a private lender to do farming on the leftover one acre. Without water, the crop failed and I had to sell the remaining one acre too."

The MLA asked if his son was not employed. Narasaiah: "My son is still unemployed. The government promised to give Rs 2000 per month to the unemployed but that has not yet come. With elections approaching, the government is now saying that they will give Rs 1000."

The MLA asked, what about your elder son? Narasaiah continued: "It is another big story. Earlier, the government had given us land, so we built walls for our house and were waiting for more money. Meanwhile, the government changed and the present government did not give anything. The walls collapsed and we shifted to a hut. In the interim, he became an alcoholic, thanks to thr liquor shops that have mushroomed all around the village.

What about your wife?, the MLA questioned. Narasaiah said: "My wife died a year ago. She was working as a daily wage labourer. All of a sudden, she fell unconscious. I called 108 to take her to the hospital, one person says there is no diesel for the vehicle, another says drivers are on strike. Finally, we had to take her in an auto. She was diagnosed with cancer. Using Arogya Sri, she was treated with chemotherapy twice and then they said they cannot do it further mentioning that the limit had been crossed. She required a minimum of 8 sittings of chemotherapy, I also didn't have money, she died."

Aren't you a white card holder? You should be getting rice..., the MLA asked. Narasaiah said: "Ration shops are claiming that finger prints are not correct, computers are not working and asking us to collect rice next month. Earlier, the same ration shop would disburse kerosene, pulses and salt in total they would give nine varieties of household products."

Angered by Narasaiah's explanation, the MLA said he was talking politics and warned him that he would get him arrested on robbery charges. Narasaiah said: 'Yes sir, all the problems fell upon me and this was the reason I came to rob. But sir, tell me, you have a photo on the wall. Isn't he a thief?"

"No farm loan to me. My wife's DWACRA loan waiver was not done. There was no fee reimbursement for my son. Unemployment pension of Rs 2000 per month was not given. My elder son became an alcoholic because of belt shops. My house construction had to be stopped. 108 did not function when I wanted to take my wife to hospital. Arogya Sri did not save her life. Can there be any other person who could have cheated a poor man like me?"

Narasaiah questioned "Wouldn't the cheaters be booked for their deeds? Wouldn't the corrupt who have siphoned off lakhs of crores be punished?" On hearing the story, the villagers who had gathered scolded the MLA.

Ending the story, YS Jagan said this was the state of a poor man in AP. He said Narasaiah's story was an example of the atrocities that were happening in our state under the TDP rule.