VIJAYAWADA: Demonstrating a strong commitment to eradicating poverty, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu announced that he and his family will join the ranks of Margadarsulu (mentors) under the State’s ambitious Zero Poverty P4 programme.
Speaking at a review meeting and unveiling the #IAmMargadarsi poster at the Secretariat on Friday, Naidu declared, “I am adopting 250 families from my Kuppam constituency. I take full responsibility for their holistic development. I’ve been urging mentors to come forward, and now I’m leading by example by adopting these 250 Bangaru Kutumbams. I will prepare a detailed development plan for them. I am a Margadarsi. No other State has undertaken such an initiative to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.”
The Chief Minister expressed confidence that his active participation would inspire others to step forward as Margadarsulu and support underprivileged families. He emphasised that the initiative must become a people’s movement, with collective efforts aimed at uplifting the State’s most vulnerable communities.
Naidu reiterated that empowering poor families is a central goal of the coalition government and urged officials to implement the most effective strategies across all regions. He called on Telugu diaspora to join the initiative and directed officials to engage the AP NRT Society.
He also stressed the role of District Collectors in coordinating with corporate organisations to encourage their participation. To facilitate contributions at the state level, Naidu proposed the creation of a common donor fund to support Bangaru Kutumbams under the P4 initiative.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to complete the survey identifying the top priorities of Bangaru Kutumbams by August 10, and set a target of 15 lakh adoptions by August 15, when Phase 1 of P4 is scheduled to launch. So far, 5,74,811 families have been adopted and 57,503 mentors have registered. Officials informed him that an additional two lakh mentors are needed to meet the goal.
“To make this initiative a success, everyone—from me to the MLAs—must actively contribute. From the Chief Secretary to field-level employees, all must participate,” Naidu emphasised.
Naidu’s bold move to personally adopt families under the programme is expected to galvanise widespread participation and accelerate the State’s mission to eliminate poverty.
Three models of Zero Poverty P4 programme
Model 1: A mentor adopts a family and offers non-financial guidance without a time limit
Model 2: Also called ‘Fund a Need’, offers direct financial support to families with specific needs and is time-bound
Model 3: Enables the adoption of entire villages or mandals, aimed at corporate participants through CSR to address broader development goals