Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday vowed to wipe “every tear from every poor man” by drawing inspiration from first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
The chief minister listed out a series of changes he brought in several key sectors like women protection and empowerment, social justice, education, health care in the last three years of rule in Andhra Pradesh.
Jagan was speaking after he unfurled the national flag to mark the 75th Independence Day at Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium here, where he also accepted the salute from the police.
He said, “We brought in revolutionary changes in citizen services, wherein 2.7 lakh volunteers knock at the doors of the elderly, widows and the differently abled to deliver pension even before the Sun rises on the first day of every month across the state.
A ward/village secretariat for every 2,000 persons, Rythu Bharosak Kendras, YSR Village Clinics, English medium schools, upcoming digital libraries, pre-primary schools and foundation schools and a host of other facilities were set up for the benefit of villagers during the past three years, he said.
The chief minister said a modern 108 vehicle for every mandal, a 104 vehicle for every PHC, each with two doctors and promotion of the family doctor concept through village clinics were arranged by the YSR Congress government.
The CM asserted that as part of taking the administration to the doorsteps of the people to provide better services, “We have restructured the districts, raising their number to 26 from 13 and are taking up decentralization of governance to safeguard regional interests and the self-respect of the people.”
He said that the YSRC government spent Rs 1.27 lakh crore for the farm sector as the welfare of the farmers was a top priority for the government. This resulted in the average food grain production going up to 16 lakh tonnes per annum.
The government has given house site pattas to 31 lakh families so far, benefiting 1.25 crore people “when we took up construction of houses in a saturation mode and created wealth of two to three lakh crore rupees.” All these houses would be allotted in the name of women, at a cost of seven to 10 lakh rupees, he said, and added that 21 lakh houses were under various stages of construction.
To help the poor children pursue education, the government introduced English as a medium of instruction in government schools, the CM said.
He claimed credit for introducing the Amma Vodi scheme to provide financial aid to students by remitting the amount in the bank accounts of their mothers, to enable them pay fees to educational institutions. A series of schemes like YSR Sampoorna Poshana, Jaganna Goru Mugdha, Jagananna Vidya Kanuka, Mana Badi Nadu-Nadu, Vidya Deevena and Vasnthi Deevena were introduced for the education sector at a cost of Rs 53,000 crore in the last three years.
As for health care, the CM promised to enhance the number of procedures/facilities to 3,133 from the existing 2,434, all of them to be covered under the Arogyasri scheme. This is in addition to providing a financial aid of Rs 5,000 per month to those who underwent operation under the YSR Asara scheme.
“We are taking up the Nadu-Nedu programme in the health sector at a cost of Rs 16,000 crore in addition to providing 40,000 jobs therein.”
The government had generated 6.03 lakh jobs in the state in the last three years, the CM said and vowed that efforts to complete the development of four seaports, nine fishing harbours and construction of a sea port or a fishing harbour for every 50km distance along the sea coast in the state would see fruition.
As for empowerment of women, the CM wished that the 21st Century woman of Andhra Pradesh should be modern in their outlook and appearance. He listed out how the Amma Vodi helped women get an allotment of Rs 19,618 crore while 78.74 lakh SHG women got an allocation of Rs 12,758 crore in the last three years.
Jagan said the Disha Act, the Disha App and the Disha police stations were providing protection to women and said he hoped to facilitate dramatic changes in the role of women by strengthening them financially, politically and educationally.
Claiming that the YSRC government was committed to the welfare of SC, ST, BC and minorities, he said that in the first cabinet he formed, he gave 56 per cent of the minister posts to legislators from such communities. In the recent cabinet reshuffle, their representation rose to 70 per cent.
Jagan said the YSRC government was committed to provide justice to these communities by providing 50 per cent reservation to them in nominated posts and nominated works.
The CM said, “Our government believes in initiation of a series of welfare schemes, as these are an investment in human resources, which would help them overcome poverty and help the state realize the sustainable development goals. We have completed implementation of 95 per cent of our poll promises for the benefit of the poor and the needy.”
