The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has termed the two-day plenary of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) as a ‘ritualistic exercise’, adding that the ruling party has given a miss to the immediate problems being faced by the people of Andhra Pradesh.
The CPI(M) leaders including party’s State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao and Central Committee member M. A. Gafoor told the media on Sunday that the two-day plenary was all about ‘rhetoric of poll promises that impressed none’.
“Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy claimed that 95% of the promises he had made to the people had been fulfilled. However, he was silent about the additional financial burden thrust upon the common man and the many assurances that are not implemented yet,” said Mr. Srinivasa Rao.
“There was no introspection by the ruling party. People thought that the plenary would focus on finding solutions to their problems, but they were disappointed,” he said.
The CPI(M) leader faulted the Chief Minister for not talking about the prevailing crisis in the State.
“Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy offered no solution to growing unemployment, the promises made at the time of the State bifurcation that are yet to be fulfilled, problems of contract workers, the contentious issue of Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), Special Category Status (SCS), rights of local bodies and financial problems being endured by the State,” said Mr. Srinivasa Rao.
Instead of thinking of ways to help people overcome issues such as frequent and steep hike in prices of cooking gas, electricity tariff and petrol and diesel prices, he said, the YSRCP government had imposed garbage and property taxes and was now trying to burden farmers by fixing electric meters to agriculture pumpsets.
The State should take note of the fact that farmers are not getting subsidies, the Centre has not yet given the funds for development works in the State and slow progress of Polavaram project. Instead, the plenary only focused on “Mission 2024”, setting a target of capturing 175 Assembly seats in the State,” he ridiculed.
Mr. Gafoor alleged that public money was wasted during the two-day meeting that did not have any concrete agenda, apart from ‘hurling abuses at the Opposition leaders’.
State-wide protest today
The CPI(M) leaders said that the party would stage a State-wide protest on July 11 (Monday) at the Collectorates, demanding solution to the problems identified during a survey covering more than 5 lakh families in 3,500 villages, 1200 wards, 70 towns in 400 mandals in the last 40 days.
