Provide 9 cylinders for all: YSRCP

YSR Congress Party today demanded the state Government to extend the supply of nine subsidised cooking gas cylinders to all domestic consumers as being implemented in Congress ruled states.

Speaking at a press conference at the party central office in Hyderabad, party spokesman Ambati Rambabu described as unfortunate the Government’s decision to limit the supply of nine cylinders of subsidised cooking gas to consumers of Deepam scheme.

Taking objection to the Government’s decision, he said sarcastically it is a gift of the state government to the people of the state for sending 33 Congress MPs to Lok Sabha.

Rambabu said while there are 1.6 crore LPG consumers in the state, only 40 lakh consumers got the connection through Deepam scheme and the rest belonged to the middle, lower middle class  and rich groups.

He said Deepam scheme consumers of LPG use only 5 to 6 cylinders in a year while the rest of LPG consumers use 15 to 20 cylinders. “This means that Government doesn’t want to provide the three extra cylinders at subsidised rates to those who required them and provide them to those who do not want,” he said sarcastically, adding the Government’s decision is very unfortunate. 

Recalling the Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s assurance that 9 cylinders of subsidised cooking gas would be supplied in all Congress ruled states, Rambabu observed that chief minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has thrown to the winds the assurance of even his party president.

“Delhi and Kerala governments have announced supply of nine cylinders at subsidized rates and we demand the Government to implement the same here too,” he said.

Taking objection to the Civil Supplies Minister D.Sridhar Babu’s announcement that even the social welfare hostels also would be supplied with only six gas cylinders at subsidized rates, he said the Government’s decision is questionable as 70 per cent of the SC, ST and BC students are staying in hostels.

“The government is only paying Rs.17.50 per student towards mess charges and the decision of the Government to limit the supply of subsidized gas cylinders to six would ruin their lives. The Government must supply the required number of cylinders of the cooking gas at subsidized rates to the hostels to keep them running without posing a burden on the students,” he demanded.

Naidu’s Yatra for votes

Rambabu said TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu is undertaking his Pada Yatra for selfish political interests with a view to get votes in the next elections.

Explaining that an old woman by name Ramulamma has questioned Naidu’s intentions behind his Yatra at a village in Ija mandalam of Mahabubnagar district, Rambabu observed that the woman, probably a daily labourer, told Naidu on his face that he began his Padayatra purely for getting votes.

“When Naidu gave her the mike and asked her to talk about her problems, she listed out her problems. When Naidu said he came all the way walking to meet people to find out their problems, the woman told him bluntly that he undertook the Yatra only for his political interests and getting votes,” he said adding Naidu minced his words in giving a reply to the old lady.

Naidu once said the people would turn lazy if more and more subsidies are offered to them and Government is also following his footsteps going by his advice and for this reason only, Sharmila today called Naidu as chief advisor of the Government, Rambabu observed.

 (Updated on Oct 25, 2012)