VIJAYAWADA: The government is fully prepared to implement the Talliki Vandanam scheme for all eligible students across the state, said Minister for HRD and IT Nara Lokesh.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Lokesh announced that Rs 8,745 crore has been credited to bank accounts of mothers of 67.27 lakh students. He assured that payments would also be made to mothers of Class 1 and Intermediate first-year students. For orphans, he clarified that funds would be deposited in collectors’ accounts after revalidation.
Lokesh stated that all eligible beneficiaries will receive the amount by Monday. Those who did not receive payments can file complaints at Grama Sachivalayam (GSWS) or through the ManaMitra WhatsApp service by June 26, and their issues will be resolved promptly.
Highlighting the scheme’s impact, Lokesh said 30 lakh BC, 12 lakh SC, 4.26 lakh ST, 66,000 minority, and 8.5 lakh EBC students would benefit from Talliki Vandanam, a key promise in the coalition government’s six-point election agenda.
Comparing it with previous government, he noted that the YSRCP had covered 42 lakh students under Amma Vodi with Rs 5,540 cr, whereas the current government reached 67.27 lakh students with Rs 8,745 crore.
Lokesh also warned the YSRCP to delete a defamatory social media post alleging that Rs 2,000 from each individual beneficiary was diverted to his personal account. “If it is not removed, I will pursue legal action,” he said. |
80% of students get education kits on first day
Lokesh added that, following CM Chandrababu Naidu’s directions, minor errors were rectified with the Finance Minister’s assistance to ensure smooth implementation. He urged mothers to activate dormant bank accounts to avoid transaction failures.
Comparing Talliki Vandanam scheme with Amma Vodi of the previous government, he noted that the YSRCP had covered 42 lakh students under Amma Vodi with Rs 5,540 crore, whereas the current government reached 67.27 lakh students with Rs 8,745 crore.
He said that 80% of students had received the Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishna Vidyarthi Mitra kits on the reopening day, and the rest would get them by June 20. He also announced the introduction of fortified rice in the Mid-Day Meal Scheme.
Listing reforms, Lokesh said 9,600 schools adopted the ‘One Class, One Teacher’ model, free electricity was provided to schools, and Andhra Pradesh became the first state to guarantee foundational literacy and numeracy.
Regarding teacher transfers, he said manual transfers replaced the online process as per teachers’ requests. Although teacher placements couldn’t be completed on the first day of school, he promised the process would conclude by Monday.
He appealed to parents to enroll children in government schools, pledging that the coalition government would take complete responsibility for students’ education.
“We will present the Andhra Model of Education within one year,” he declared.
He clarified that the current scheme followed the same terms set by the previous government and accused the opposition of filing 24 court cases to obstruct the Mega DSC recruitment process.
‘Implement Talliki Vandanam sans delay’
Minister for HRD and IT Nara Lokesh held a detailed review meeting on the Talliki Vandanam scheme, one of the key promises under the ‘Babu Super Six’, at his residence in Undavalli on Friday. Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav and senior officials from the finance department and GSWS participated in the review.
During the meeting, Lokesh sought updates on the status of implementation and the number of mothers who had received the payments. He directed officials to ensure that the scheme is implemented without delay for all eligible beneficiaries.
He also enquired about any issues related to fund clearance at the RBI and asked officials to address them promptly to avoid disruptions in disbursement.
Minister Lokesh instructed the officials to collect grievances related to Talliki Vandanam through GSWS offices and ManaMitra WhatsApp governance platform.
He further directed them to create awareness among eligible mothers to activate their bank accounts to ensure smooth credit of payments under Talliki Vandanam.