ELURU: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said that the coalition government has spent Rs 50,763 crore on pensions alone in a span of 18 months, a scale unmatched anywhere else in the country.
He noted that pensions are reaching more than 63 lakh beneficiaries every month, with 59 per cent of them being women. said that the people had given unprecedented support to the coalition government’s call to rebuild a damaged state, entrusting it with responsibility by electing its candidates in 164 constituencies.
Speaking at the Praja Vedika programme in Gopinathapatnam village of Unguturu Assembly constituency on Monday, he noted that the much discussed ‘Super Six’ welfare schemes, once ridiculed by critics, had now become a ‘super hit’ through public backing.
Recalling the legacy of NT Rama Rao, Naidu added, “While previous governments raised pensions only by Rs 250, we implemented a one time increase to Rs 4,000 per month.”
Naidu stressed that welfare was being extended to all eligible sections.
“Mothers are receiving Rs 15,000 per child under Talliki Vandanam, and women have already availed 25 crore free bus journeys under Stree Shakti,” he said.
On education, Naidu said the coalition government had filled 16,347 teacher posts through a mega DSC recruitment drive, addressing shortages that had persisted for years.
He outlined a five point plan aimed at ensuring farmers do not incur losses, focusing on water security, demand based crops, agritech adoption, food processing, and government support.
‘Aquaculture farmers to get power at Rs 1.50/unit’
“We will complete the Chintalapudi Lift Irrigation project and ensure procurement payments are credited within 48 hours,” he assured.
“Aquaculture farmers will get power at Rs 1.50 per unit, with `850 crore support from the government,” Naidu said the coalition government was working to create 20 lakh jobs by 2029.
He pointed to investment commitments worth Rs 13.25 lakh crore announced at the recent Visakhapatnam partnership summit, with approvals already given for projects worth Rs 8 lakh crore. “The arrival of Google’s data centre in Visakhapatnam reflects investor confidence in the State,” he remarked.
He pledged to complete the Polavaram project before the Godavari Pushkarams in 2027 and said Amaravati’s Phase 1 works would be completed by 2028, transforming it into “one of the most beautiful cities in the world.”
Contrasting these initiatives with what he described as the failures of the previous administration, Naidu alleged that development had stalled and governance had deteriorated.
“Past rulers stalled development and turned the state into a hub for crime. Our government’s goal is to raise per capita income to `5.8 lakh and digitise health cards under the Sanjeevani project.”
Expressing confidence in the national leadership, he said: “Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India will become the world’s leading nation by 2047, and Andhra Pradesh will achieve its Golden State vision.”
The Chief Minister personally handed over a pension to a kidney patient during the programme and directed officials to ensure proper medical care. He later inspected stalls set up near the venue and congratulated families recognised under the P4 initiative. The event was attended by ministers Nadendla Manohar, Kolusu Parthasarathy, and other public representatives, who joined the Chief Minister in highlighting the government’s welfare and development agenda.