Praja Sankalpa Yatra Diary, Day 41: Real Birthday Is When I Bring Back Smiles On The Faces Of The Poor

Boggalapalli, Anantapur district: As I came out of my tent on Thursday morning, there were balloons, buntings, banners and festoons all around. My friends, associates and party workers turned out in large numbers with sweets and cakes. Even the disabled, who came to greet me, came with a cake. All along the yatra route, young, old, women and children wished me well on my birthday and greeted me with flowers. I felt truly happy. How can I ever repay my debt of gratitude to them? Real happiness for me is when I fulfill their wishes and help them lead a better life after we form the Government with the support of the people and the blessings of the Almighty. I told myself that real happiness is when I am able to bring back smiles to their faces. I heartily thank all my colleagues and supporters for organizing service activities across the length and breadth of the state to mark my birthday.

As I was cherishing these golden moments, 70-year-old Narayanamma came to me. Her pension had been stopped soon after Chandrababu Naidu’s ascension to power in 2014. When she enquired, the authorities told her that her pension was stopped as she was a YSRCP supporter. She told them that she would continue to support the YS family even if that meant foregoing her pension. She said for her, being with the YS family is more important than the ration and pension. I would again like to ask Chandrababu if the welfare scheme benefits are given only on the basis of a person’s political affiliation and not on the basis of eligibility criteria. I was deeply moved by the stoic demeanor of this 70-year-old.

Then Narasimhulu of Gopepalli SC Colony met me. In 2010, his brother enrolled for a PG course in the college being run by former minister Palle Raghunath Reddy. At that time, the management assured him that all he had to do was pay the lab fee of Rs 8000. But when he completed his PG in 2012, the same management told him that his documents would be released only if he paid Rs 50000. Narasimhulu pleaded with them saying he didn’t have the means to pay. During the 2014 elections, Raghunatha Reddy came to their village seeking votes. He assured them of waiving Rs 50000 fee and issue certificates. Three years have gone by since, but the certificates still remain locked in his office. The boy cannot even attend an interview, let alone find a job. If responsible people like Raghunatha Reddy, who was a minister till recently and is a Whip now, play with the lives of the people, what can anyone expect of others?

Sometime later, RTC employees and the leaders of employees union met me under the leadership of my uncle and Kamalapuram MLA Ravindranath Reddy. They pointed out that while the age of retirement in government services has been raised to 60 years, the RTC had been deprived of this norm. They pointed out that the only way the debt-ridden RTC would be revived is by fully amalgamating the corporation with the Government. I recalled my assurance to the RTC at their Tirupati conference that once we come to power, the APSRTC will become an integral part of the Government. We will stand by each of the 65000 RTC employees.

Finally, I would like to ask the Chief Minister as to why he is not raising the age of superannuation in the RTC to 60 years?