281 Attacks Against Women In Past Four Years

Targeting the ruling party in Andhra Pardesh opposition leader and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday blamed lack of stringent measures in the State for the rise in attacks on women. Addressing a public meeting here as part of the Praja Sankalpa Yatra, Mr. Jagan cited a few gruesome incidents in which women were subjected to assaults including the Datchepalli rape case in the past four years.

“At least 281 cases of violence against women have been reported since the TDP had come to power, signalling an alarming state,” he said.He alleged that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had managed to hush up the cases of Ms. Rishiteswari, victim of ragging in the Acharya Nagarjuna University, Ms. Vanajakshi, a revenue official physically attacked by Denduluru MLA Ch. Prabhakara Rao and Vijayawada’s call money-cum-sex rocket cases.

“Making available liquor across the State has contributed a lot for the rise in the crimes,” he said.

Mr. Jagan came down on Mr. Naidu alleging that major schemes like the Arogya Sri and the fee reimbursement had been weakened.

“Delay in the completion of the delta modernisation project has become a curse for the farmers in the coastal belt in Krishna district as they are yet to get access to irrigation water. The lift irrigation project scheme proposed at Matlam village in Krithuvennu mandal to draw water from the Kolleru lake is yet to see the light of the day.”

He demanded that the State government should sanction the recruitment and rehabilitation package in the the K.L. Rao Sagar Project (Pulichintala project).

Mr. Jagan promised to grant monthly allowance of ?2,000 for each family engaged in weaving if YSRCP came to power