Tail Piece: My association with Dr YS Rajashekhar Reddy
KARIMNAGAR, JULY 08, 2025: Rich tributes were paid to former integrated Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Dr YS Rajashakhar Reddy on the occasion of his 76th birth anniversary in Karimnagar town on Tuesday.
The Congress leaders, led by former MLA Arepalli Mohan, SUDA chairman and town Congress president Komatireddy Narender Reddy, PCC secretary Rahmath Hussain, DCC working president Komatireddy Padmakar Reddy and others paid floral tributes to his portrait at the Indira Bhavan in Karimnagar town.
On this occasion, the Congress leaders recollected the association of Dr YSR with the Karimnagar district and the execution of the ambitious Sripada Yellampalli Project, SRSP Flood flow canal and other irrigation projects to provide irrigation facilities to the farming community. They also recollected that YSR had accorded priority for the development of the Telangana region and accordingly sanctioned Model schools, KGBVs, centres of excellence residential schools and more.
The Congress said that Dr YSR was instrumental in providing corporate health treatment free of cost to the common man by launching Rajiv Arogyasri and 108 ambulance services. They said that he had encouraged higher education by introducing fee reimbursement scheme.
Senior Congress leader Bobbili Victor had organised special prayers for YSR at CSI church in Karimnagar. Congress leaders Mulkala Praveen, Venna Rajamallaiah, Gaddam Vilas Reddy, Padishetty Bhumaiah, D Madhu, Teetla Eshwari, Jyothi Reddy and others were also present.
Tail Piece: My association with Dr YS Rajashekhar Reddy
It was in the year 2008 when the spate of suicides by powerloom weavers suddenly occurred due to crisis in the Textile industry. During the period, the Endowments Minister Juvvadi Ratnakar Rao, who knows that I broke the news story of starvation deaths of powerloom weavers in the month of March 2001 and continued to write several stories about the welfare of weavers, had taken me and my family to Tirupati during the TTD Brahmotsavams.
On the inauguration of Bramotsavam at Dwajarahonama, Mr Ratnakar Rao introduced me to the YSR. At this juncture, he simply said: “I know, he is the only reporter who poses lots of questions during the press meets”. Then the Endowments Minister said that Dayashankar is well versed with the powerloom weavers’ issues, as he broke the news of starvation deaths, and he would give suggestions to the government.
For this, Mr YSR said Dayashankar, we will meet tomorrow during my return journey to Hyderabad. He said we will travel together from Tirumala to Renigunta airport, which is 90 90-minute journey. Accordingly, the Minister for Endowments came to my room at around 4 am and woke me up and took me to the CM YSR.
I and the CM YSR together travelled in the car from Tirumala to Renigunta airport and discussed lots of issues about the powerloom weavers plight including the harassment by the micro finance companies. As I was briefing about the situation, Dr YSR was directing the officials by calling through his security forces for the conduct of the meetings to review powerloom weavers issues.
I can proudly say that Dr YSR was instrumental in the stoppage of the suicides by the powerloom weavers because of his initiatives including providing loans to the weavers under ‘pavala vaddi’ scheme. He eradicated microfinance companies by launching the Total Financial Inclusion Scheme to provide loans to weavers. I still remember that Andhra Bank Chairman and MD had camped in Sircilla to provide loans to the weavers.
Dr YS Rajashekhar Reddy took initiatives for the revival of the women self-help groups and others. During the period, Mr Reddy also discussed his plans to take up corporate farming to benefit the farmers. Unfortunately, he was killed in a copter crash after attaining power for the second term in the year 2009. I miss you, sir.
