Jagans claims on schemes false

GUNTUR: YSR Congress chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s claim that welfare programmes were diluted in the present regime drew flak from the AICC general secretary, Oscar Fernandes. Speaking to newsmen after flagging off the Prajahita Padayatra of the Congress MPs in Prathipadu on Wednesday, Fernandes said    all the welfare schemes launched during YSR’s regime were being implemented in the present government also. The AICC secretary  said since he had seen some of the welfare schemes being implemented at the field level personally, he was sure of Congress  victory in the bypolls.The MPs would take up an extensive campaign in support of the welfare schemes and developmental programmes being implemented in the state during the padayatra. Indiramma housing scheme, Arogyasri, one- rupee-a-kg rice scheme are some of the  programmes the MPs would highlight during the poll campaign. Fernandes, who came to Prathipadu along with his wife, interacted with some Dalit members and tried to know the ground realities of the state government’s developmental programmes.Interestingly, Rajya Sabha member KVP Ramachandra Rao, who was also taking part in the MPs’ padayatra called upon the people to vote for the Congress for expediting the developmental programmes. Rao, who was regarded as the soul of YSR, dismissed Jagan’s claim that the welfare schemes being taken a back seat as false. He made it clear that all the poll promises of the Congress were being implemented.Congress MPs Lagadapati Rajagopal, Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, JD Seelam, MA Khan and ministers J Geeta Reddy, Kanna Lakshminarayana participated in the first day of the padayatra. Party MP from  Telangana Balaram Naik also took part in the yatra.