Will go ahead with welfare agenda, says Andhra CM

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said his government will go ahead with the welfare programmes to justify the mandate given despite the false propaganda by its detractors. He said that while the government is giving priority to welfare and all sections of the society are happy, detractors have been spreading canards and are publishing 'paid articles' to show the state in poor light. He said they were spreading falsehood that the industries are being closed down.

"However, we are resolute to take forward our agenda and will not be cowed down by such tactics," he said. Jagan, as the chief minister is popularly known, was speaking while launching the Jagannana Vasathi Deevana, a scheme aimed at providing financial assistance to college students, at Vizianagaram.

He said while the government was working towards the three capitals concept for decentralized development, its detractors were trying to paint a different picture. There are also mob attacks, he said referring to the attack on Bapatla MP Nandigama Suresh and the earlier attacks on other YSRCP leaders and MLAs.

Jagan urged the people to bless him for trying to provide education and health for all, drinking water supply for all regions, uplifting the farmers and providing employment to the youth. "I am waging a war with demons. I am fighting against not just with the media channels which are focusing on negative news but also maniacs, in the guise of agitators, who were attacking the ruling party members," he said.

He said while the government took a decision to provide English medium at the primary school level, brought about two separate Commissions for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for their uplift, increasing the number of seats for the BCs in the local bodies as per their population, there are detractors who want to stall all the good things from happening.

With a finger touch on the laptop key, the chief minister transferred online the benefit of Jagananna Vasathi Deevena to the accounts of the mothers of 11.87 lakh students amounting to Rs 1,100 crore. Jagan said education was the only asset the government can offer to the lakhs of student of the downtrodden families and the fruits will be transferred to generations to come if at least one person from the family completes a professional course and gets a good job.

He claimed that the state government has brought about revolutionary reforms in the education sector to lower the rate of illiteracy. The state has 33 per cent illiteracy rate against the national average of 27 per cent. Under Jagananna Vasathi Deevena, the government will help Polytechnic and Degree students with their hostel and mess charges. All the students whose parents' annual income is less than Rs 2.5 lakh will get financial assistance directly into the bank account of their mothers.

While the first installment of Rs 10,000 would be credited to their accounts by January- February, the second installment of Rs 10,000 would be deposited by July-August. All the children in each family would get the benefit individually.

While the government is spending Rs 2,300 crore every year for Vasathi Deevena, it was spending Rs 3,700 crore additionally for Vidya Deevena programme (total fee reimbursement). Similarly, Rs 6,400 crore is being spent to provide Rs 15,000 each to 82 lakh students through Amma Vodi programme. The chief minister said he was proud to say that Rs 12,400 crore was being spent for all these schemes.

The government plans to transform the outlook of all schools in the state in three years through Nadu-Nedu and Mana-Badi programmes by providing infrastructure. Similarly, the menu of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme has been changed to provide nutritious food to the children.

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