Praja Sankalpa Yatra, Day 24 Diary: YSRCP’s Nava-Ratnalu Alone Can Transform The Lives Of People 

December 2, Madananthapuram, Kurnool District

My Praja Sankalpa Yatra on Friday passed through Ratana village in Pattikonda assembly constituency. This village has great historical significance. The village tank here was constructed during the reign of the legendary Sri Krishnadevaraya. I was deeply impressed by this ancient reservoir. The visionary kings of that era had a clear idea of the needs of their people and understood the geography and topography of the area. They had the foresight to create water bodies in the middle of such arid areas with low rainfall. Welfare of their people was of prime importance for them. As a result, they could achieve these miracles. My father thought along identical lines and tried to irrigate these parched lands by taking up a slew of irrigation projects. An estimated 80 per cent of the work had been completed during his reign. But sadly, the present dispensation seems to have no interest in completing the remaining 20 per cent.

I learnt that as soon as it rains, the people of this area go looking for diamonds in the fields. This was the region where diamonds were sold in heaps in village markets during the reign of Srikrishnadevaraya. Thus rain is a precious thing for them. Once a picture of prosperity and abundance, the entire area now mirrors backwardness and neglect. I strongly feel that only Nava Ratnalu, the nine assurances that I gave, can improve the situation and breathe life into this region. And it is for this reason that I am trying to instil confidence in people by explaining to them the rationale behind Nava Ratnalu.

Backwardness is pervasive in Pattikonda. There are no sources of wealth creation. The people here work as daily-wage earners.. They worked hard, spent frugally, saved enough and availed zero interest loans that my late father had introduced to get their children educated. They had started small businesses. These people, mainly women, believed that Chandrababu Naidu, who promised waiver of DWCRA loans in the run-up to 2014 elections, would turn around their lives. But Chandrababu Naidu went back on his word. Today, all these people are branded defaulters and are burdened with heavy loans. A paltry sum that was given in the name of a loan waiver is being shown as seed capital and interest is being levied on them. As a result, the DWCRA movement has suffered a serious setback. The effect of this is most visible in this backward village of Pattikonda. As a result, the women of this region have lost access to this small source of income they had.

Here is my question to the Chief Minister. Is it not a fact that the DWCRA women have been turned into defaulters for believing in your false promise and not repaying their loans? Isn't it a fact that a highly systematic and well-organised DWCRA movement has collapsed because of your selfish acts? Aren't your policies responsible for DWCRA women's inability to get fresh bank loans?