Tadepalli, May 12: Former Health Minister Vidadala Rajini condemned the coalition’s false propaganda against YSRCP’s liquor policy, calling it a desperate attempt to divert attention from their failures. She said linking health issues to YSRCP’s liquor policy is baseless and aimed at tarnishing the legacy of the previous government.
The coalition claims that liquor consumption surged under YS Jagan’s regime, leading to a rise in liver and kidney diseases. This is a blatant lie. The YSRCP government took decisive steps to reduce alcohol consumption, implementing measures like government oversight of liquor shops, reduced operating hours, and the abolition of 43,000 illegal belt shops. The data speaks for itself: Liquor (IML) sales dropped from 3.84 crore cases in 2018-19 under Chandrababu to 3.32 crore cases in 2023-24 under YS Jagan, and beer sales fell from 2.77 crore cases to 1.12 crore cases in the same period. “How can TDP allege increased consumption when sales clearly declined under YSRCP’s governance?” she questioned.
Rajini highlighted that the coalition peddles falsehoods while ignoring its own track record. Chandrababu introduced 200 new liquor brands during 2014-19, flooding the market with names like President Medal and Power Star etc. In contrast, YS Jagan continued the existing brands, maintaining the same distilleries, most of which were established under Chandrababu’s regime. The quality of liquor was validated by Chennai’s SJS Lab, which approved the standards, alongside additional labs during YS Jagan’s tenure. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) further declared the liquor policy was in compliance with the provisions of the Competition Act, 2002. Notably, no deaths due to illicit liquor were reported during YS Jagan’s tenure (2019-24).
The former minister pointed out that the coalition’s narrative hinges on misinterpreting health data to defame the YSRCP government. They claim a rise in liver and kidney diseases, but there’s no scientific evidence linking these issues solely to liquor; lifestyle factors play a significant role.
Under YS Jagan’s leadership, healthcare was revolutionized, making it accessible to all, especially the poor. Aarogyasri procedures expanded from 1,059 to 3,254 diseases, ensuring comprehensive care. The YSRCP strengthened the healthcare system: 108 and 104 ambulance services increased from 622 to 2,204, enhancing emergency access.
The YSRCP government transformed the situation where government hospitals previously lacked doctors and nurses. They recruited 53,126 healthcare staff at a scale never seen before. Despite a national shortage of specialist doctors at 61%, AP reduced this shortage to just 3.96% under YS Jagan. Nationally, there’s a 27% shortage of nurses, but in AP, this shortage was reduced to zero. The national shortage of lab technicians is 33%, but in AP, it was also brought to zero.
The YSRCP government also introduced the Family Doctor system, ensuring two PHCs per mandal with two 104 vehicles each, four doctors per mandal, and doctors visiting each village twice a month.
Prevention was the mantra, better than a cure. Through the Aarogya Suraksha program, the YS Jagan government conducted extensive testing, supporting people during and post-COVID with numerous camps, screening millions, and identifying critical cases early. These testing facilities saw significant improvements compared to Chandrababu’s neglectful 2014-19 tenure, with modern diagnostic equipment deployed across PHCs, CHCs, and district hospitals. The coalition misrepresents the rise in reported cases as a failure, but this reflects the success in making healthcare accessible, not a liquor-related crisis.
The coalition’s campaign is a political vendetta to undermine YS Jagan’s legacy of empowering the marginalized through healthcare and responsible governance. Their neglect of public health, weakening Aarogyasri and failing to match the YSRCP’s reforms stands exposed.
Coalition peddling false Liquor conspiracy against YS Jagan’s government
