YSR Popularity
- Providing free electricity as promised for farmers was initiated on the very first day of his tenure as CM in 2004.
- Rajiv Arogya Shree – A health insurance program for rural population below poverty line (white card holders). This insurance program pays the entire cost of any necessary surgery to a maximum of Rs.200,000
- Emergency service- Free public ambulance service. This service was originally started by Satyam and later adopted by government of A.P
- PavalaVaddi — a program that provides loans at 3% per anum interest rate, designed to encourage small scale businesses and entrepreneurship primarily targeted at rural women.
- Indirammaillu — a program for construction of heavily subsidized housing for the rural poor.
- Rs 2/KG of rice scheme - Increase in the minimum support price for rice.
- Reimbursement of full college fees for backward sections. Reservations for minorities.
- The main emphasis during his tenure was on social welfare with a majority of his projects targeted at reducing rural poverty. Apart from these schemes, his government stood as the role model in implementing the central governments flagship program – the NREGA. The BBC has called him a champion of social welfare schemes. His tenure also saw significant weakening of the violent extremist left-wing Naxalite movement that was rampant in the state when he assumed office in 2004.
- During his era Andhra Pradesh achieved a growth rate of more than 6% every year. Poverty levels reduced to 16% in Andhra Pradesh while the national average was 23%.
Why is YSR Popular?
During his tenure as CM, the government of Andhra Pradesh under took the following projects: