Don’t Vote for Parties Ignoring Adivasis, Says YV Subba Reddy

Visakhapatnam: YSRC regional coordinator YV Subba Reddy has appealed to the Adivasis not to vote for political parties that have been ignoring the interests of tribals in the agency areas of ASR and other districts.

Addressing Adivasis at the `Siddam’ meeting held in Araku Valley on Sunday, Subba Reddy said the Telugu Desam neglected the tribal areas and even did not include an Adivasi in the Chandrababu Naidu-led cabinet. Hence the Adivasis should “not only defeat the Telugu Desam but also its allies in the coming elections.”

He urged the people to compare their living standards during the Telugu Desam period with that of the YSRC government under the leadership of Jagan Mohan Reddy.

“The 1/70 Act was introduced during YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s term to protect the lands of the tribals to end the large-scale land grabbing in those times,” he said.

Subba Reddy said even medical facilities were less for the adivasis during Chandrababu’s governance. “But, under the Jagan Miohan Reddy rule, not only the health services were improved, a medical college with a super specialty hospital was introduced in Paderu for which a sum of Rs.500 crore has been sanctioned.’’

Stating that the Adivasis were trekking hundreds of kilometres to seek redressal of their grievances, Subba Reddy said the YSRC government split the district and brought the administration closer to the tribals.

He urged the tribals to support Jagan Mohan Reddy and the YSRC that provided them with social welfare schemes and improved their living standards. He asked them to vote for Araku Valley candidate Regam Matsyalingam who was nominated by chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Subba Reddy also said Jagan Mohan Reddy had cancelled the bauxite mining GO that won the hearts of the Adivasis. “Adivasis always loved Jagan Mohan Reddy and voted for the YSRC twice in 2014 and 2019.”

Araku MLA Chetty Palguna said the YSRC government spent Rs.6,000 crore for development of the Araku constituency. Tribals wanted to see Jagan Reddy as the permanent chief minister, he claimed.