YSRCP chief submits 1 cr signatures to Andhra Guv against privatisation of med colleges

Amaravati, Dec 18 (PTI) YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday submitted over one crore signatures opposing the alleged privatisation of 10 medical colleges to Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer at Lok Bhavan.

The opposition party had launched a statewide campaign to collect signatures from people against the proposed privatisation of medical colleges.

"We brought Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's injustices to the Governor's notice and explained the losses that would occur if medical colleges are privatised," Reddy told reporters after submitting the signatures.

The signature campaign, held from October 10 to December 10, was described by Reddy as unprecedented in scale.

He alleged that the proposed privatisation of medical colleges was the "biggest scam" in the country.

"Handing over medical colleges to private entities while continuing to pay salaries using public funds amounts to another major scam. How can Rs 120 crore of public money be given as salaries after transferring colleges to private entities? There cannot be a bigger scam than this," he claimed.

Reddy said the medical colleges were intended to provide free super-speciality and multi-speciality services and serve as a guarantee for the health of the poor.

He warned that privatisation would also include teaching hospitals, allowing private entities to charge patients and "share profits".

Earlier in the day, vehicles carrying signatures from various districts reached the YSRCP central office at Tadepalli.

The party described the campaign as a response to what it called an anti-people decision by the NDA coalition government led by Naidu.

According to Reddy, the petitions were aimed at ensuring that the collective voice of the people reached the highest constitutional authority in the state—the governor.

He congratulated party district presidents, regional coordinators, conveners, MLAs, MLCs, cadres, and village-level activists for successfully completing what he described as a massive people’s movement.

"Over 1.4 crore signatures are history, and these signatures have reached Lok Bhavan," he said, claiming the exercise reflected growing public anger.

Reddy alleged that people have not benefited under the TDP-led NDA coalition government despite two budgets being presented and claimed that welfare schemes implemented during the YSRCP government’s tenure between 2019 and 2024 were scrapped.

"All systems are collapsing under the incumbent government. It cannot run schools and hospitals, resulting in the rise of private exploitation," he alleged.

The YSRCP supremo said the signatures will also be submitted to the court to ensure that public concerns are formally recorded.

Between 2019 and 2024, the YSRCP government initiated 17 medical colleges, one in each district, and completed seven.

Admissions had already begun in five colleges before the current NDA coalition came to power. PTI MS STH SSK SA