AP CM releases Rs. 87.32 cr under welfare schemes for girls

Vijayawada: AP Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday said the YSRCP Government is of firm conviction that education is the only weapon to eradicate poverty from society.

He was speaking after releasing Rs 87.32 crore towards YSR Kalyanamasthu and YSR Shaadi Tohfa to benefit 12,132 eligible girls who got married during the quarter January-March 2023. The amount will be directly credited into bank accounts of beneficiaries belonging to SC, ST, BC, minorities, disabled and construction workers.

Depositing the amount at the click of a button virtually at his camp office at Tadepalli near here, he said that the scheme is not only meant to financially support the girls but also make studying Class X mandatory for implementation of the scheme. This will change the mindset of the parents to educate their children, he pointed out.

Implementation of Amma Vodi and Jagananna Vidya Deevena and Vasthi Deevena will usher in a revolution in the education sector in the State drastically reducing the dropout rate in schools and increasing the enrolment, he said adding, out of the total 12,132 beneficiaries identified for YSR Kalyanamasthu and Shaadi Tohfa, as many as 5,929 beneficiaries are receiving Jagananna Vidya Deveena and Vasthi Deevenna schemes.

In addition to the assistance provided now, within a span of six months, 16,668 eligible girls benefited from the scheme and the government has credited Rs 125.50 crore directly into their accounts, he said.

Drawing a parallel with the previous TDP regime, Reddy said that the erstwhile government has implemented the scheme ahead of elections but the YSRCP Government is implementing the scheme in full transparency with enhanced incentives. As many as 17,709 beneficiaries were left high and dry in 2018 as the TDP failed to credit Rs 70 crore. While SC, ST, BC, and minority beneficiaries got Rs 40,000, Rs 50,000, Rs 35,000, and Rs 50,000 each during the TDP rule, the YSRCP Government hiked it substantially.

While the differently-abled people and construction workers received Rs 1 lakh and Rs 20,000 each in the TDP rule, they will now get the hiked benefit of Rs 1.50 lakh and Rs 40,000, respectively. Similarly, the incentives of SC, ST, and BC beneficiaries who opted for inter-caste marriage went up to Rs 1.20 lakh from Rs 75,000 each, to Rs 1.20 from Rs 75,000 each, and to Rs 75,000 from Rs 50,000 each, respectively, the Chief Minister stated.

Social Welfare Minister M Nagarjuna, Women and Child Welfare Minister K V Usha Sricharan, Labour Minister G Jayaram, Special CS (BC Welfare) G Anantha Ramu, Special CS (Village and Ward Secretraits) Ajay Jain, Minority Welfare Secretary A Md Imtiaz, Social Welfare Director P Vijaya Krishnan, Ward Secretariats Director Lakshmisha and other officials were also present.