Aadhar card linkage to shirk poll promises: YSRCP

Vehemently opposing the proposed linkage of welfare schemes to Aadhar Cards by the TDP government, YSR Congress has said it is a bid to escape from implementing the poll promises and diluting the welfare schemes.

“The reported savings of Rs 1,089 cores by linking Aadhar Cards with welfare measures is only to weaken the welfare schemes and run away from its responsibility. It was the same Chandrababu Naidu who had earlier warned the State Government not to link welfare schemes with the Aadhar Cards and has taken a U-turn after assuming power,” party spokesperson Vasireddy Padma told reporters here on Thursday.

Brushing aside the apex court’s directive to the Government to withdraw all notifications making it mandatory by linking the Aadhar Card to welfare schemes as anomalies were reported in issuing the Unique Number cards, TDP is now planning to route its welfare schemes the same way.

“Our leader has forewarned of such a situation and ripped open the designs of the ruling party in the Assembly to dilute the welfare schemes but his voice was gagged in between and he told the media in detail how the welfare schemes would be distorted, diluted and done away with.

He spoke at length the lack of budgetary allocations to the welfare schemes and questioned as to how the State would carry out the measures for which the answer came with the reported proposal of Aadhar linkage,” she said.

Two examples of rice to white ration cards and pensions will tell the story in detail of how the TDP government is trying to weed out the welfare schemes in a phased manner.

It needs Rs 1,227 crores to provide rice for 1.40 crore white ration cards but no sufficient funds were earmarked in the budget and no explanation was given as to how the gap would be filled. Similar is the case with pensions as Rs 1,338 cores was allotted as against the required Rs 3,050 crores, she said.

The same thing would happen to loan waiver and other welfare measures and will come with a rider in the coming days, she said adding that the irony of TDP flipping stand after assuming office on Aadhar Card linkage is a glaring example of what the State intends to do in the coming days about the welfare schemes.