Telugu Desam Party MLC P Ashok Babu has asserted that the Jaganmohan Reddy government was neglecting the Dr YSR Aarogyasri health scheme while the previous TDP regime efficiently implemented to extend better healthcare to the people. He asked the YSRCP government to explain why its official Aaryogyasri website was showing all beds as vacant with nobody anywhere in the State receiving any treatment under this scheme.
The TDP MLC advised the ruling party to stop making wrong claims and start releasing necessary funds so that the private hospitals would effectively pass on the benefits to the intended sections of society. At a time when Coronavirus threat was looming large, the government was showing a dangerous negligent attitude by indulging in corruption in test kits, bleaching powder and even in purchase of ambulances. Practically speaking, the Aarogyasri was not being implemented anywhere in the State.
Mr. Ashok Babu asserted that the TDP regime had not pursued any political vendetta and it did not cancel the Aarogyasri despite the fact that the health scheme was started by Jagan Reddy’s father YS Rajasekhara Reddy. In fact, YSR got good name from this programme which was one of the reasons for his victory again at that time. But, now, the YSRCP government was ignoring it by not releasing necessary funds. Wrong claims were being made to say that Covid treatment was being given in Aarogyasri. The field level verifications were proving it appallingly wrong.
Accusing the YSRCP government of total failure in health sector, Mr. Ashok Babu said it only spent Rs. 7,480 Cr as against a budget allocation of Rs. 11.400 Cr for 2019-20 while the TDP spent Rs. 8,917 Cr during 2018-19. Instead of increasing the expenditure, the Jagan Reddy regime has reduced it. It was betraying the people by showing higher budget allocations while spending very less in actuality. Even the ruling party leaders were puzzled why the CM was crushing the Aarogyasri also despite the fact that it was a popular scheme besides being a pet programme of his father.
The TDP MLC demanded the government to set up separate Covid hospitals with 2,000 bed strength in each district headquarters in order to take care of the rising number of infections all over the state. As of now, virus patients were complaining that they were not being able to eat the poor quality food being served by the government. In Kerala and Karnataka, they were serving good food besides providing necessary facilities. It was unfortunate that the ruling party was not even giving financial support to patients under the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. The Central government was releasing special Covid funds but the AP government was not using the same to rescue the people effectively. The ruling party was not able to account for these funds. If the Opposition leaders and general public raise questions on the social media, the government was filing false cases and making needless arrests.
