Babu, is this the Swarn’Andhra Pradesh’?

AP CM Chandra Babu’s name can be listed first among the ones, who fail to keep promises. It is very difficult to predict Babu’s decisions too. No news will at least leak before he announces. He is continuing the same ideology in implementing welfare schemes and in construction of new capital. After pooling huge land of 33,000 acres from farmers, he himself should know to what extent he kept the promises he made for the farmers. It is an open secret that many farmers gave away their land for the capital city, fearing government’s harassment. But, has the Government give the promised compensation to the farmers? How far is the government’s attitude correct towards poor farmers, who donated their only source of income?

The AP Government also announced paying a pension of Rs. 2,500 per month, to the underprivileged who does not have own lands. But out of 53,373 agricultural labour in the Amaravathi region, only 19,055 were paid the pension and that too once for three months. Besides this, reducing the list of eligible people, avoiding pension payments at 3 wards in Tadepalli, cutting house tax and water bill dues from the pension and paying the remaining and continuing the old pension for second year without considering hiked prices of basic needs, will reflect the governance failures of Naidu’s Government.

Babu also promised to implement the ‘Employment guarantee’ scheme through out the year; the promise remained only in his words. Only 15,471 cards were issued while a total of 53,373 agriculture labors were present in the Amaravathi region. The huge difference between the to be provided working days of 56,46,915 for 2015-16 period and actually provided 19,956 days will show to what extent his government is successful.

Not only failing to keep the promises for farmers, CBN also failed at implementing the promised free education and medical facilities for students of the capital region. No fees reimbursement or free medical treatment was provided as per G.O. 125. Babu’s government also made various promises related to assigned lands. Not only failing to keep the promise, but also the government reduced ‘Metta’ by 300 sq. yards and ‘Jareeb’ by 450 sq. yards. While a biased package was announced for underprivileged and backward castes, no package was announced for the island regions.

Announcements made regarding provision of training for self-employment, stipends for all, employment provision and up to Rs. 25 lakh loan against employment remained only in papers. While there are 6575 degree completed, 31, 678 inter completed and 7,515 high school completed students, only 1,490 were recognized and 483 were given only the training for self-employment and were not shown the employment opportunities. There has been no sign of any loan approvals too.

Similar to other regions of the State, the ‘Dwakra’ loans were not waived. While one of the prestigious projects, as claimed, NTR canteens are to be setup in every village; there have been none in any village. The old age homes’ situation is similar to the canteens. Another important assurance the government announced was the provision of housing for all underprivileged families. But Babu did not at least mention about the scheme in any of his recent speeches. While there are 6,426 under privileged families without houses, none were granted, as the government has not yet allotted land for implementing this scheme. As per rules 10 % of land in village layout should be allotted for the houses of underprivileged, but at many places, at least an acre was not allotted.

Government has completely forgot the regularization of properties and issuing documents. It has also turned leaf for granting the contracts to the locals. Almost all the works are handed over to non-local contractors. The ‘Grama Khantas’ issues are yet to be solved.

Babu always accolades that farmers form basis of the states future, but he ignored the plot allotments for them. Actually, the plots should be allotted within 9 months and handed over to farmers by 12 months. It has been 9 months, but there has been no forward step from the government’s end, in this regard. Allotting plots as per the officer’s interests, not providing the basic amenities in the plots, reducing the size of to be allotted plots, will clearly reflect that it is officer favoring government but not a public favoring one. Babu also announced that the government would collect the complaints and requests from general public, but no perfect system has been established for carrying out this duty. Village committee meetings disappeared leading to increase in unanswered problems at the village level. It is very rare that one can see the MLA in concerned constituency.

When the village committees consisted of only the rich, ruling party leaders and the ruling party patriots, where will be the scope for a common man to point out the mistakes and demand for the proper implementation of government’s schemes, proper use of granted funds and provision of basic needs!