The YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh on Friday announced ‘Universal Health Cards’ which would allow free healthcare access to poor and middle-class families if the party was voted into power in the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections, scheduled on April 11.
“Any individual with an annual income of up to Rs. 5,00,000 can avail this card and its benefits. Several lakh individuals from poor and middle class families will benefit from this and to be given Universal Health Cards to avail medical services for free,” a press release by the party stated.
YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy made the announcement while addressing a public meeting in Guntur.
The party also said that it was taking forward the vision of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy and his ‘Arogyasri’ scheme, which allowed Below Poverty Line (BPL) families with a ration card, to take care of medical expenses.
Stating that the Universal Health Cards would be applicable for any medical expense over Rs. 1,000, the YSRCP claimed that the scheme would be personally monitored by Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Sources said that the YSRCP made this announcement a day before it was scheduled to release its entire manifesto on Saturday. The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is also expected to make its manifesto public, as both parties eyed the date on which the festival of Ugadi, the Telugu new year, falls.
The YSRCP has already promised that it would actively work on closing down belt shops that sold illicit liquor, and also move ahead with prohibition of alcohol in three-phases if it was voted into power.
Jagan has also said that he would hike pensions to Rs 3,000 and promised to bring in legislation that would give 75% reservation to locals in jobs at existing and future industries in the state. He also promised to fill several lakh vacant posts in the state.
There are a total of 25 Lok Sabha seats and 175 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh and the state will go to simultaneous polls on April 11.