JC criticises welfare schemes

Former Congress minister J C Diwakar Reddy on Saturday stated that the welfare schemes launched by the State Government would put heavy burden on the exchequer.

Talking to media persons in the city, he said that the government could implement the welfare schemes if it has ability to mobilize sufficient resources to fund them. Otherwise, the welfare schemes launched by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy would put heavy burden on the State's exchequer, he pointed out.

Diwakar Reddy said that the schemes like Rs 1-a-kg rice would not serve any purpose at a time when people are expecting the government to take steps for containing increasing prices of essential commodities. “The populist schemes will only increase the burden on the State's exchequer. Instead of launching such schemes, the government should make concrete efforts to reduce the prices of essential commodities,” he said.

The former minister said that his prediction came true about the Congress MLAs, who switched loyalties towards YSR Congress, returning to party fold.