Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has announced a health insurance scheme for the poor to be implemented in about three months with two-thirds of the premium being subsidised by the State and Central Governments.

Addressing a `Rededication Day' meeting held to mark completion of the Congress Government's two years in office, here on Sunday, Dr. Reddy said the Government was finalising the modalities of the scheme. The meeting coincided with the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee's plenary.

Poll mode

The daylong session was attended by Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, AICC secretary Iqbal Singh, all Union Ministers from the State, MPs, MLAs and some 10,000 delegates. The occasion was used to launch the party cadre into the panchayat election mode by highlighting the achievements of the Government.

While Dr. Reddy attributed the success of the Government programmes to the "un-stinted" support of AICC president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, other party leaders showered praise on him for his `steadfast' implementation of the programmes.

Vowing to complete Jalayagnam and Indiramma in time, he wanted the cadre to talk about the Government schemes that had benefited every section of people. "There is a criticism that we underplay our achievements unlike the Telugu Desam."

"Unnecessary criticism of the Government sends out a wrong signal," Dr. Reddy said, cautioning stray voices of dissent in the party. "Andhra Pradesh should play a major role in strengthening the hands of Ms. Sonia Gandhi."

`Sham sheet'

Dubbing the TDP chargesheet a "sham sheet," he asked people to be wary of "the designs" of regional parties. "They will stoop to any level to grab power. The other day TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu openly admitted that his real friends are those who can fetch votes. Welfare of the poor and real development are never on his agenda. He politicises everything."

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