Jagan sworn in, starts stint by hiking pensions

Vijayawada: Amidst thunderous applause from a sea of supporters, YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday took oath as the second Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium and immediately ordered a slew of measures including an increase in social welfare pensions, one of his nine election promises and a crackdown on government contracts.

Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Reddy. As he uttered the words “Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy ane nenu (I, Y.S.Jagan Mohan Reddy)” exactly at 12:23 pm, the stadium erupted with slogans of “Jai Jagan”.

Mr Reddy at 46 is the third youngest Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh after Damodaram Sanjeeviah at 38 and Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu at 45.

The muhurat was fixed by Visakhapatnam Sarada Peetham pontiff Swamy Swaroopanandendra Saraswathi. After the swearing-in representatives of the Islam, Christian and Hindu faiths blessed Mr Reddy.

“For all the hardship I faced for nine years... the 3,648-km padayatra I undertook... you blessed me so much that you gave me a victory as big as the sky. I have seen your troubles, listened to your grievances. I assure you that I am here to address all of them,” Mr Reddy said.

In his first action as Chief Minister, Mr Reddy signed the file related to hiking pensions, one of the navaratnas (nine promises) he had promised during his padayatra. He also announced appointing village volunteers by August 15, establishing village level secretariats and a call centre to receive complaints on corruption by October 2, Gandhi Jayanti.

The Navaratnalu also includes Rs 12,500 annual support to farmers, phased implementation of liquor ban and Aaroygyasri scheme with Rs 10,000 financial assistance to those suffering from serious diseases. Mr Reddy said a judicial commission will be appointed to oversee the process of floating tenders for any government contract to bring in transparency and eradicate corruption.  

This was much in the style of his father Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, who signed a file to implement a few of his election promises. Mr Reddy went around the municipal stadium in an open jeep, the way his father had done before at the Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad.

Telangana state Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and DMK chief M.K. Stalin attended the ceremony and wished Mr Reddy luck. TD supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu stayed away, and the Telugu Desam did not send any representative.