SRIKAKULAM: Emphasizing that the TDP-led NDA government has no intent for political vendetta, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu assured that those who filed cases against TDP activists and leaders during the previous YSRC regime will be held accountable.
At the launch of the Deepam 2.0 scheme, Naidu addressed a public gathering, Praja Vedika, at Idupuram village in Ichchapuram Mandal, Srikakulam district on Friday. Under this scheme, the government will provide three free LPG cylinders to low-income families annually.
The free gas cylinder scheme is part of the ‘Super Six’ guarantees. Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, State Ministers Nadendla Manohar (Civil Supplies), Kinjarapu Atchannaidu (Agriculture), Kondapalli Srinivas (MSME), Ichchapuram MLA Bendalam Ashok, District Collector Swapnil Dinkar, SP Maheswara Reddy, and other officials attended the event.
Announcing the scheme, the Chief Minister mentioned that 1,671 households in Idupuram village qualify for it. The State government will bear an additional expense of ₹2,684 crore annually for the scheme’s implementation. Beneficiaries will have the cost of each cylinder reimbursed to their bank accounts within 48 hours of purchase.
Earlier, Naidu and Civil Supplies Minister Nandendla Manohar visited the home of Santhamma, where he handed her an LPG cylinder.
Women Should Not Be Limited to Cooking and Raising Children: Naidu
During his visit, Naidu prepared tea in Santhamma’s kitchen. He later visited Balijepalli Janaki and provided her with a pension of ₹4,000 under the single-woman category, checking on her well-being and that of her family. Reaffirming his focus on women’s welfare, Naidu emphasized, “Women should have freedom. They constitute 50% of the population and should not be confined to cooking and child-rearing. Your intelligence should also benefit your family, and you deserve to live with self-respect, which includes the ability to earn.”
After the public meeting, Naidu traveled to Srikakulam by helicopter to inspect progress on the integrated collector’s office. He held a review meeting with district officials on various projects underway.
During a meeting with the TDP cadre, Naidu remarked on the lack of freedom for people and political parties under the YSRC regime. He accused the previous government of targeting TDP leaders unjustly, adding, “People, irrespective of their political affiliations, gave a landslide victory to the NDA as they were disillusioned with the YSRC.”
