After nearly a month, the Congress high command dusted its proposal to extend ex gratia of Rs 1 lakh to each of the families of those who had committed suicide after former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s death on September 2 last.
According reports from New Delhi, party president Sonia Gandhi asked the AICC incharge of AP affairs Veerappa Moily to direct the state Congress to expedite the process of ex gratia payment to the bereaved families, apparently to checkmate Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. She wanted that the list of beneficiary families be sent to her, so that she would be able to know who the genuine victims were.
The high command issued certain guidelines for commencing the process. It asked the District Congress Committee and minister in-charge of the district to identify the real beneficiaries as per the official records and then send the list to the high command. Pradesh Congress Committee president D Srinivas wanted that the list be finalized in the next three days. After scrutiny, it would be forwarded to the Centre. It is not yet known whether the ex gratia payment would be done by Sonia Gandhi herself or somebody else.
