Andhra Pradesh: Jagan to submit one crore signatures to Governor against medical college privatisation

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], December 18 (ANI): YSR Congress Party president and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will submit one crore signatures to the Governor today, protesting the Chandrababu Naidu government's decision.
A massive wave of protest has erupted against what the party calls a government conspiracy, with people from all sections of society voluntarily coming forward to sign in opposition.
The protest is against the privatisation of newly established government medical colleges, allegedly for the sake of commissions. Opposing this decision, YSRCP announced a people's movement action plan on October 7.
On October 9, YS Jagan visited the Narsipatnam Medical College. From October 10 to November, Rachabanda programmes were held in villages and towns.
YSRCP leaders explained how, in the name of scams, the government is depriving the poor of quality healthcare and medical education.
People voluntarily signed in large numbers against the Chandrababu government's decision. Rallies held at constituency headquarters on November 12 were a grand success. Rallies with signature petitions across all 175 constituencies on December 10 were successfully conducted.
On December 15, students, parents, and intellectuals participated in large numbers in rallies held at district headquarters. Despite the government's attempts to suppress the one-crore signature movement, it failed.
A crucial YSRCP meeting will be held on Thursday in Lok Bhavan under the leadership of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Ahead of submitting the one-crore signature petitions to the Governor, he will first hold discussions with party leaders.
During the YSRCP regime, YS Jagan took a revolutionary decision to establish one government medical college in each parliamentary constituency, aiming to build 17 government medical colleges.
The objective was to provide corporate-level healthcare through the government to the poor and middle class, while also expanding medical education opportunities across the state.
Of these, seven medical colleges were completed, and ten more were under construction when the YSRCP demitted office. However, the coalition government allegedly neglected these projects and has now begun efforts to privatise them under the pretext of the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model. Opposing this move, YS Jagan called for a people's movement in the form of the one-crore signature campaign.
What began in October as a village-level signature drive through Rachabanda programmes has now reached its final stage. In just two months, 1,04,11,136 people signed voluntarily against the Chandrababu government's decision. With students, intellectuals, and people from all walks of life participating, the movement has become a nationwide topic of political discussion.
Notably, even in Naravaripalle, Chandrababu Naidu's own native village, people signed the petition opposing his government's decision. The Signature boxes from all districts have already reached the YSRCP Central Office in Tadepalli. On Thursday morning, YS Jagan will flag off the vehicles carrying the documents, which will then proceed directly to Lok Bhavan (formerly Raj Bhavan).
Later, YS Jagan will meet senior party leaders to review the movement against the privatisation of medical colleges. In the evening, he will proceed to Lok Bhavan with key party leaders and meet Governor Abdul Nazeer, presenting the people's opinion against the privatisation of medical colleges. (ANI)