CM reels out steps for uplift of Muslims
PNS n Vijayawada

“For the first time in Andhra Pradesh, we have a Deputy Chief Minister, four MLAs, four MLCs, and a woman Deputy President of the Legislative Council from the Minority community,” said Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday while extending his wishes to the people on the Minorities Welfare Day.

Addressing a gathering in Guntur on Friday, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy asked the people to observe how the State transformed after he came to power in 2019.

“From no power to Minorities, to a Muslim Deputy CM in power now, the State has come a long way,” the CM said, underlining the efforts taken by his government to uplift the status of Minorities.

Explaining the welfare measures, CM Jagan said, “In the last three years and four months, our government has deposited more than Rs 10,309 crore directly into the bank accounts of 44,13,773 Minority beneficiaries through DBT (Direct Bank Transfer) schemes.”

“Besides, through non-DBT schemes, around 16,41,622 Minority households have benefited with financial support worth Rs 10,000 crore.

Just through the housing scheme alone, we have distributed Rs 9,400 crore to 2,44,006 Muslim sisters,” CM Jagan added.
Slamming the previous TDP government for not looking after the needs of the Minority community, Jagan highlighted that the Naidu government had only spent Rs 2,665 crore on Minorities’ welfare from 2014-19, whereas the YSRCP government had spent more than Rs 20,000 crore in the last three years which is 10 times more.

Spelling out his government’s key focus on education, the CM recalled that the Assembly Speaker had once asked him to rule out the Class 10 pass requirement to avail the benefits of the ‘Shadi Thofa’ scheme. He said that he declined it because he wants all girl children to avail of education.

“I didn’t exclude the criteria. If we would have ruled out the Class X mandate, my sisters would have been kept away from education. I don’t want that to happen,” Jagan said.

The Chief Minister further said that till now, 580 acres of encroached lands have been restored and given back to waqf board. “For further security, we will ensure proper digitisation of lands. This government is yours, I will be with you all the time,” he said.

At the request of Guntur East MLA Mustafa, the Chief Minister said that he had sanctioned Rs 287 crore for the maintenance of the underground drainage system. Funds for building a Muslim counselling centre and library in Guntur West were also sanctioned.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Chief Minister Amzath Basha termed CM Jagan’s rule a ‘Golden era for Minorities’ and added that no government before has given such importance to Minorities. He further said, “The YSRCP government had cleared the pending dues of Rs 12 crore. We are giving Rs 10,000 every month to Imams and Rs 5,000 to Mouzams in the mosque.”