YSRC chief Jagan Mohan Reddy's Praja Sankalpa Yatra concludes

ICHCHPUARAM: YSRC chief and Opposition leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, whose 3468 kilometres Praja Sankalpa Yatra culminated on Wednesday at Ichchapuram in Srikakulam district, unveiled his plans for the people of the state if his party is voted to power in the coming elections.

Jagan Mohan Reddy, who seems have taken a cue from the neighbouring Telangana State Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, announced that his government will carve out 25 districts from the existing 13 districts of the State for better administration and also extend crop insurance, the cost of which will be entirely borne by the state government.

In what can be seen as a draft of the party's manifesto for the election, Jagan Mohan Reddy, not only highlighted his party's Navaratnas (nine schemes that the party will take up if it comes to power) but also announced some new initiatives that he would take for the upliftment of the poor and downtrodden of the state.

The first major announcement was carving out of a district out of every Parliamentary constituency of the State. "I will carve a district out of every Parliamentary segment and make 25 districts out of the existing 13 now. This is to ensure that a collector could monitor development activities in seven Assembly constituencies, not more. This will bring in more accountability,'' he said.

Jagan further announced that the administration will be taken to the village-level by appointing 10 locals in the village secretariat. "They will be held responsible for implementation of each and every government scheme -- distribution of pensions or rice, ration cards, houses or the Navaratna schemes -- at the doorsteps of the people. In extending the government schemes, our government will not go by caste, religion or political affiliation of the beneficiary,'' he said.

Further, Jagan said that his government will appoint one Grama Volunteer for 50 houses each in a village. ``We will choose persons with social service orientation and pay them Rs 5,000 per month. They will work in coordination with the Village Secretaries and will see that every government scheme reaches the doorsteps of the poor,'' he said adding that the volunteers will ensure door delivery of the rice supplied through ration cards.

Jagan also lashed out at TDP chief and Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu describing the latter as `Nara Rakshasudu' and `Narasurudu' (Nara Demon) for the largescale corruption in the State. On Chandrababu Naidu focusing on national politics, when the farming community in the state is in dire straits with recurring droughts and cyclones, Jagan sarcastically said that Naidu is busy having coffee with Kumaraswamy (Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy) in Karnataka, Idli Sambar with Stalin (DMK leader MK Stalin) and chicken with Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal CM) when the farmers in the state are suffering.

Jagan said Naidu will come out with conspiracies to come back to power by forging alliances and people should be aware of it. In an emotional tone, Jagan said in his 341-day padayatra stretching across the State, he saw the people suffering closely and was moved by their plight. ``With all your blessings, I will emerge victoriously. While Naidu is power hungry, my only purpose is to serve the people,'' he said.