The Pasupu-Kumkuma scheme for self-help groups benefits 98 lakh women.
Hyderabad: Exactly seven days before the polls in Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s government deposited Rs 4,000 on Thursday into each of the savings accounts of around 98 lakh women, who are members of self-help groups in rural and urban areas in the state, under the “Pasupu-Kumkuma” scheme. This money need not be repaid. Andhra Pradesh goes to polls on 11 April, for both Assembly and Lok Sabha.
This Rs 4,000 is the third installment of total gift of Rs 10,000 for which cheques were already issued to the women last month. Naidu instructed officials to deposit around Rs 3,900 into banks by 3 April so that women can collect cash from Thursday on.
“This is our commitment to our women who are our big supporters and I will give many more such gifts in future,” said Naidu, addressing a TDP campaign rally in Nellore district on Thursday.
As electoral battle turns fierce between ruling TDP and main Opposition YSR Congress, the Chief Minister is leaving no stones unturned to win back the votes of major sections of public. Government has already distributed two installments—Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 to them since February.
Jagan’s YSR Congress approached the Election Commission (EC) seeking stoppage of payments in middle of the elections, but the poll panel on Wednesday cleared it on grounds of it being an ongoing scheme, but directed the ruling party not to mention the money distribution in its electioneering. TDP leaders are buoyant about the scheme’s possible positive impact on its women beneficiaries.
“I don’t know whether you get any gift money from your own brothers on the auspicious Ugadi festival, but I am giving you this money for your happiness. Please keep this in mind before voting,” he said.
Not only this, the Naidu government has also distributed another freebie, “Annadata Sukheebhava”, to around 46 lakh farmers on Thursday.
Under this scheme introduced from February, every farmer with landholding below five acres gets Rs 15,000 per year, and those with above five acres get Rs 10,000. Already, Rs 1,000 was paid last month, while the second installment of Rs 3,000 was paid on Thursday.
The remaining amount will be paid in June, after elections. Naidu promised to pay the amounts to tenant farmers too in June, once he comes back to power. The ruling TDP has pinned its hopes that these direct benefits would help it electorally.
In addition to this, Naidu has started doling out an unemployment allowance at Rs 2,000 per month for those who have completed specific period of joblessness in the state. Around 19 lakh youth were identified as eligible for this scheme. This is apart from the regular pensions for old persons, single women and physically challenged people at the rate of Rs 2,000 per month.
Naidu promised to increase the pension amounts to Rs 3,000 per month if he is voted back to power. This week also witnessed another direct payment to farmers who are eligible for loan waiver which costs the exchequer Rs 24,500 crore this year. The government has already paid money for those with loans below Rs 50,000 and now the last installment money for loans up to Rs 1.5 lakh are being paid.
Municipal Minister P. Narayana told this newspaper: “There will not be a single family in Andhra Pradesh which hasn’t got one or other benefit from this government this week.”
Narayana, who is a Legislative Council member now is not contesting for the Assembly from Nellore (Urban) and is confident that this slew of direct benefits from the TDP government would benefit ruling party. He is banking on public satisfaction from rennet handing over of around 12 lakh houses to the poor families free of cost.
CM Naidu has concentrated on these welfare and direct benefit schemes especially after the immense success of TRS in Telangana in the 7 December Assembly elections. There, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has followed the same strategy of showering many direct cash transfers to close to 50 lakh families, through one or the other welfare scheme. TDP expects to bounce back to power like TRS.
However, YSR Congress leaders are rubbishing such hopes of the TDP. “Chandrababu has introduced these schemes only very recently. He has low credibility among the people, compared to our leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. Our election promises of ‘Nava Ratnas’ (nine major promises) are far better and people trust only us,” said Vasireddy Padma, the party’s spokesperson.
Even BJP’s AP unit president Kanna Lakshminarayana dismissed the hopes of TDP fetching votes and said, “People are not ready to vote for him as he has failed on all fronts. Most of his schemes are based on funds given by our Modi government.