TIRUPATI: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy released Rs 193.64 crore for 80,686 handloom weavers under the YSR Nethanna Nestham Scheme at a programme at Venkatagiri on Friday. A sum of Rs 24,000 will be directly deposited into the bank account of each beneficiary family owning loom. Addressing a huge gathering, he said the scheme is being implemented for the welfare of handloom weavers from 2019.
Highlighting the initiatives taken by his government, he said it provided online marketing facility for handloom products, besides paying an exgratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of 71 weavers, who committed suicide during the previous TDP regime. The government has spent Rs 2,835.06 crore on welfare of handloom weavers in the last four years, including Rs 969.77 crore under Nethanna Nestham, Rs 1,396.45 crore towards pensions, Rs 468.84 crore to APCO, including Rs 103 crore arrears, compared to Rs 400 crore spent during the five year term of the previous TDP regime. Under Nethanna Nestham, which is being implemented for the fifth consecutive year, each eligible weaver family has got Rs 1.20 lakh.
Listing out the welfare schemes of his government, Jagan said Rs 2.25 lakh crore has been spent on economic uplift of the poor people in a transparent manner. It has created a history in implementation of welfare schemes in the country. About 30 lakh house sites have been allotted to women beneficiaries and construction of 22 lakh houses have been taken up. A sum of Rs 26,000 crore has been disbursed to 44 lakh women beneficiaries under Amma Vodi. One crore women of self-help groups have got a benefit of Rs 19,178 crore. A sum of Rs 3,615 crore has been spent under the Zero Interest Scheme, Rs 14,129 crore under Cheyutha, Rs 31,000 crore under Rythu Bharosa, benefiting more than 50 lakh farmers, and Rs 15,000 crore under Vidya Deevena and Vasathi Deevena,” he highlighted, adding that the entire country is looking at AP for its initiatives for economic empowerment of women.
The education sector has become vibrant with the implementation of reforms like English medium education, subject teacher concept, Nadu Nedu, digitalisation of classrooms with IFPs, tablets for Class 8 students and Jagananna Goru Muddha. The village economy is thriving with Rythu Bharosa Kendras hand holding farmers at every step, while family doctors and village clinics are extending preventive health care services. The State has created 2,06,000 jobs taking the total number of government employees to 6 lakh. It has also given full rights to farmers on dotted lands and assigned lands.
“We have increased the number of districts to 26 and added 1,600 new 108 and 104 ambulance vehicles. YSR Aarogyasri covers 3,250 ailments as against 1,000 in the past. We have also introduced Aarogya Aasara and extended exemplary public health care during the Covid-19 pandemic, besides merging APSRTC with the government, taking up 17 new medical colleges, 4 new sea ports and 10 new fishing harbours,” the Chief Minister explained.“With great responsibility and love and affection for the weaker sections, the YSRC government has implemented 98% of its election promises,” he asserted.