Marriage fund plan to boost women education: CM Jagan

Vijayawada: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has said the ‘YSR Kalyanamasthu and YSR Shaadi Tohfa’ is not only meant to financially support the girls but it also makes Class X mandatory for the grant of benefits from the scheme.

“This will change the mindset of the parents to educate their children,” the CM said while releasing a sum of Rs 87.32 crore towards the scheme. This would benefit 12,132 eligible girls who got married during the quarter January-March 2023. The amount would be directly credited into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries belonging to the SC, ST, BC, Minorities as also the disabled, and construction workers, he said.

Depositing the amount at the click of a button at his camp office here on Friday, the chief minister said implementation of the Amma Vodi and Jagananna Vidya Deevena and Vasthi Deevena would usher in a revolution in the education sector in the state, drastically reducing the dropout rate in schools and increasing the enrolment.

The chief minister reaffirmed, “The government believes education is the only weapon to eradicate poverty from society. Out of the total 12,132 beneficiaries identified for the YSR Kalyanamasthu and Shaadi Tohfa, as many as 5,929 are receiving the benefits of the Jagananna Vidya Deveena and Vasthi Deevenna schemes.”

He said that in addition to the assistance provided now, 16,668 eligible girls benefited from the scheme within a span of six months and the government has credited Rs 125.50 crore directly into their accounts.

Drawing a parallel with the previous Telugu Desam term, the chief minister said that government had implemented the scheme ahead of elections but the YSRC government is implementing it in full transparency with enhanced incentives.

He said, “As many as 17,709 beneficiaries were left high and dry in 2018 as the TDP government failed to credit Rs 70 crore. While the SC, ST, BC, and Minority beneficiaries got Rs 40,000, Rs 50,000, Rs 35,000, and Rs 50,000 each during the TD rule, the YSRC government hiked these to Rs 1,00,000, Rs 1,00,000, Rs 50,000, and Rs 1,00,000 respectively.”
 
Jagan Reddy said, “While the differently abled people and construction workers received Rs 1,00,000 and Rs 20,000 each under the TD rule, they will now get the hiked benefit of Rs 1,50,000 and Rs 40,000 respectively. Similarly, the incentives of the SC, ST, and BC beneficiaries who opted for inter-caste marriage went up to Rs 1,20,000 from Rs 75,000 each, to Rs 1, 20,000 from Rs 75,000 each, and to Rs 75,000 from Rs 50,000 each respectively.”

Later, the chief minister virtually interacted with some of the beneficiaries.
Social welfare minister M Nagarjuna, Women and child welfare minister Usha Sricharan, labour minister G Jayaram, Special CS (BC welfare) Anantha Ramu, special CS (village and ward secretraits) Ajay Jain, minority welfare secretary Md Imtiaz, social welfare director Vijaya Krishnan, ward secretariats director Lakshmisha and other higher officials were present.