PNS | Vijayawada
The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly convened on Monday, witnessing an unusual calm in the absence of the Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders, who had announced their boycott for the remainder of the session. The day’s proceedings, notably the Question Hour originally scheduled for one hour, extended well beyond expectations, clocking in at nearly two and a half hours.
Members of the ruling party expressed satisfaction with the smooth conduct of the House but lamented the absence of TDP members who had posed a range of questions, leaving them unanswered.
Speaker Thammineni Sitaram commenced the Assembly session on Monday by initiating the Question Hour. Minister for Social Welfare, Merugu Nagarjuna, lauded the positive impact of the Jagananna’s Vidya Deevena and Vasathi Deevena schemes, emphasising their significant benefits to millions of students. He highlighted the government’s commitment to education and the welfare of Scheduled Castes (SCs) in the state, highlighting the transparent execution of various welfare initiatives. According to Nagarjuna, 26,98,728 students have benefited from Vidya Deevena, while 25,17,245 have received assistance through Vasathi Deevena. He also disclosed that the Jagan government had allocated a staggering Rs 63,689.58 crore for SC welfare from June 2019 to August 2023, surpassing the Rs 35,250.46 crore spent by the previous Chandrababu government from 2014 to 2019. This stark contrast underscores Chief Minister Jagan’s dedication to SC welfare and development.
MLA Kasu Mahesh Reddy inquired about financial relief for farmers, prompting Minister for Agriculture, Kakani Govardhan Reddy, to provide a detailed response. Govardhan Reddy disclosed that the government had disbursed Rs 31,005.04 crore in financial assistance to 52.57 lakh farmer families through the YSR Rythu Bharosa-PM Kisan scheme since 2019. He underscored the government’s steadfast commitment to the welfare of farmers, especially during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
MLA Mahesh Reddy commended Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for fulfilling every promise and contrasted this with the alleged failure of former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to deliver on his commitments, particularly regarding loan waivers. He noted that Chief Minister Jagan had diligently cleared the dues left behind by Chandrababu.
Denduluru MLA Kotharu Abbayya Chaudhary lauded CM Jagan’s transformative impact on the education sector, which includes enhancing government school education and providing English medium teaching to students, preparing them for brighter futures.
MLA TJR Sudhakar Babu asserted that former Chief Minister Naidu had not adequately addressed the concerns of farmers, contrasting this with the positive steps taken by CM Jagan, particularly the Paalaa Velluva scheme that had greatly benefited dairy farmers.
MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy highlighted the revolutionary changes in the education sector under CM Jagan’s leadership. He proudly noted that Andhra Pradesh students addressing the United Nations represented the remarkable transformation in the state’s education system.
Minister for Water Resources, Ambati Rambabu, disclosed the deterioration of the third gate of the Gundlakamma project, with the bottom one-third part having washed away on August 31, 2022. He explained that the vent was closed, retaining water to support crops during the Rabi 2022-23 season through stoplog gates. An allocation of Rs 917 lakh has been approved for the necessary repairs and replacement of the reservoir gates.
