As the main opposition party YSR Congress today organising protests before all the district Collectorates in Andhra Pradesh, accusing inefficient implementation of Aarogya Sri scheme, the Chandrababu Naidu government seems to be locked in defensive. The party has given this call to exerting pressure against the ruling TDP government.

Leader of Opposition YS Jaganmohan Reddy himself will be participating in the protest demonstration at Ongole. It may be recalled that the Aarogya Sri scheme is the first of its kind in the whole country providing corporate medical care free of cost to the poor, launched by YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

Though Jaganmohan Reddy has been raising concerns since some time over dilution of this populist scheme aiming at providing world class medical assistance to the poor, the government remains silent. As the opposition party is attempting to mobilise patients, who are deprived of the scheme and their relatives for this protest, the ruling party seems to be alerted.

Suddenly waking up from his indifference, the Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas, who belongs to BJP, dashed off a open letter to opposition leader Jaganmohan Reddy, objecting his recent remarks on the implementation of NTR Vaidya Seva Scheme. YSR’s Rajiv Arogya Sri scheme name was changed as NTR Vaidya Seva Scheme, after Chandrababu Naidu comes to power.

Kamineni accused that the opposition leader was worried about his ill-fate after successful implementation of NTR Vaidya Seva Scheme. Taking strong exception to Jagan’s remarks of poor implementation of the health scheme, he said it was catering to resolve health problems of the poor.

According to him, the government has spent Rs 1,063 crore for this scheme last year and medical aid has been enhanced from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh. But, he deplored that the leader of opposition is overlooking the facts. He has also advised the YSRC chief to know the rise in number of health card users from 1.32 to 1.76 per cent.