Andhra Pradesh to Probe Lapses in Amma Vodi Scheme: Lokesh

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government will order a probe into lapses during implementation of the Amma Vodi scheme, human resources development minister Nara Lokesh announced in the State Legislative Council on Friday during the Question Hour while replying to queries raised by members.

Listing out a series of lapses in implementation of Amma Vodi, he pointed out that the number of students admitted to government schools had come down between 2021–22 and 2023–24 by nearly 7.90 lakh while the expenditure had gone up by Rs 253 crore.

Lokesh reminded that the amount spent on each student for implementation of Vidya Kanuka had registered an increase year on year – Rs 1,530 crore in 2020–21, Rs 1,707 crore in 2021–22; Rs 2,029 in 2022–23 and Rs 2,700 in 2023–24.

He found fault with shoes offered to students not being of size and substandard school bag. He assured students to provide the option of replacing the shoes. He said officers have been asked to come up with a good pattern of colours for school bags and belts, though not the yellow colour of the Telugu Desam..

The minister maintained that bilingual textbooks offered to students had in fact added to the weight being carried by students than providing any benefit.

“We are making efforts to make government schools better than private ones. We will continue Vidya Kanuka, while modalities for Talliki Vandanam scheme are being formulated,” he informed the members.

Replying to a query on the number of vacant teaching and non-teaching posts in polytechnic, junior, degree colleges and universities and proposals to fill them, Lokesh said the government will come up with an academic calendar.

He assured that efforts will be made to fill up vacancies in universities and provide the minimum time scale. He disclosed that he had met Governor S. Abdul Nazeer regarding recruitment in universities. The issue has also been taken up with the Advocate General, as an earlier notification to recruit 3,200 assistant professors in universities had ended up in legal tangles.

The minister said a girl student from IIIT, Nuzvid, had tagged him in a message that the food served during lunch had not been good. “I asked the official concerned to look into the issue. By the time the dinner got served, the food had improved,” he stated.

Lokesh said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has asked him to improve the ranking of AP universities, with assurance to provide whatever is needed to achieve it. “We are committed to work in that direction,” he underlined.

The minister said he has asked officials of IT and electronics department to provide incentives to those companies that provide employment, instead of just investing in Andhra Pradesh.