New Delhi: YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy unveiled a ‘Backward Class declaration’ at a rally in Eluru of West Godavari district with a heavy focus on freebies to woo the numerically strong community ahead of the assembly elections after chief minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu announced a slew of sops last month.
The freebies promised under the declaration include an ex-gratia of Rs 70 lakh to the families at times of death of their breadwinners under YSR Bheema Yojana, allocation of Rs 75,000 cr for welfare of 139 communities within the backward castes in the next five years, non-refundable financial assistance of Rs 75,000 for each BC woman in four instalments over a period of four years, 50 per cent of quota in nominated government posts for BCs, SCs, STs and Muslim minorities, zero interest loans for petty vendors, annual assistance of Rs 10,000 for each Nayee Bramhin family etc.