Welfare schemes lifting morale of people: Minister Prashanth Reddy

Nizamabad: Minister for roads and buildings, housing and legislative affairs V. Prashanth Reddy said that the state government was giving equal importance to developmental works and welfare schemes, which boost the morale of the people, he said.

Addressing the people of Nizamabad district, the minister, who hoisted the tricolour at Police Parade Grounds here on Tuesday to mark the 77th Independence Day, said Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had been striving to put the state on a developmental path from the crisis since 2014.

The BRS government’s flagship welfare schemes like crop loan waiver, Gruha Laxmi, '1 lakh aid for BCs and minorities, Dalit Bandhu, Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima, KCR Kits, Kanti Velugu, Kalyana Laxmi/Shadi Mubaarak, Aasara Pensions, distribution of sheep, fish and prawns have brought in a great change in the lives of the district, where different crops were being cultivated on 5,00,285 acres, he said.

The minister said '44.65 crore worth of crop loans of 23,444 farmers have been waived off and '2616.9 crore were deposited into the accounts of 2,60,617 farmers under the Rythu Bandhu scheme in the district, he said. Under the Rythu Bima scheme, 831 families of deceased farmers have received '41.55 crore of insurance amount and 1,62,992 farmers have enrolled in Rythu Bima for 2023-24, he mentioned.

Further, he said '46.73 lakh of amount was deposited as compensation for crop damage to 371 farmers, of which '9.17 crore was sanctioned for Rabi damage for 8,702 farmers, he said. Under Blue Revolution, the district got sanctioned five wholesale, retail fish markets, which will be constructed at a cost of '2 crore on the premises of the fisheries office at Arsapally in Nizamabad, he noted.

The distribution of fortified rice via fair price shops began in August and 12,87,095 people will be benefitted by getting an average of 8,100 metric tonnes of subsidy rice, he added. MLAs Bigala Ganesh Gupta, A. Jeevan Reddy, mayor Dandu Neethu Kiran, ZP chairman D. Vittal Rao, collector Rajiv Gandhi Hanumanthu and others were present.