The Jagan Reddy Government has prominently released Front Page advertisements (half page) in the media today. In this, it announced Rs. 1,100-Cr ‘ReSTART’ package for the MSME industries in the state. The Government grandly announced that to strengthen these companies, it has released Rs. 904.80 Cr industrial incentives including pending Rs. 827.5 Cr of previous regime.
Along with that, the Government also announced waiver of power bills for these industries for three months. The TDP immediately responded, asking how the YCP regime can dare to protect Crorepatis companies while ignoring the financial difficulties of common people and poor families. Former Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao deplored that crores of rupees were spent on media advertisements but no effort was being made to rescue the consumers. Rs. 187.80 Cr power bills were waived for industries while power bills were increased for the public. The Government turned a deaf ear to Opposition demand for waiving bills for 1.35 lakh ordinary consumers in view of Coronavirus effect.
The Government said that it waived fixed electricity charges against contracted maximum demand for MSMEs for 3 months from April 2020 to June 2020. This would put a burden of Rs. 187.80 Cr on the state. Also, working capital loans would be provided from Rs. 2 to Rs. 10 lakh at 6 to 8 per cent interest. For this, Rs. 200 Cr fund is being created. Now, the TDP is demanding similar financial support to the poor people and lower income groups to help them tide over Covid crisis.
