Amaravati, Sep 1 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu said on Tuesday that the coalition government is giving priority to welfare, development and good governance, with the economic empowerment of the poor as its primary objective.
Participating in the distribution of NTR Bharosa pensions at Mogalthur in West Godavari district, the Chief Minister said enhanced pensions were being provided to senior citizens, widows, persons with disabilities and other sections. So far, Rs 73,507 crore had been distributed to the poor through pensions, while Rs 1.50 lakh crore had been spent on welfare programmes over the past two years.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief recalled that 31 years ago, on September 1, he was sworn in as the Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh for the first time. Since then, several reforms had been initiated and numerous programmes implemented to promote public awareness and people’s participation in governance.
Chandrababu Naidu said the NDA alliance would remain unbeatable whenever elections were held in the State. He said rural development was possible only when local bodies were strong. He said ward members and sarpanches, along with MLAs and MPs, should become active partners in governance. Only then would there be greater opportunities to secure funds from the Centre for rural development, he said.
The Chief Minister alleged that attempts were being made to prevent the conduct of local body elections. He alleged that some people were attempting to obstruct the development taking place in the State.
Chandrababu Naidu said the savings movement launched through DWCRA groups had laid the foundation for women’s empowerment. He said the Deepam scheme was introduced to ensure that no woman faced difficulties in cooking, and under Deepam-2.0, three free LPG cylinders were being provided every year. With the objective of ensuring that women take a leading role in all sectors, 33 per cent reservation had been provided, he said.
Last year, 1 lakh DWCRA women had grown into MSME entrepreneurs, and the target had been increased further this year, he added. The government would provide marketing facilities through the ‘Swayam’ brand for products made by DWCRA women, the Chief Minister said.
He noted that SCs, STs and minorities continued to face economic and social backwardness and said the government was taking steps to bring these communities forward economically and socially. Reservations had been provided for Vadderas in mining and for toddy tappers in liquor shops, he said.
The long-pending issue of SC categorisation had also been implemented to ensure justice, the Chief Minister added. Students from tribal areas were being provided training and sent for competitive examinations and higher education opportunities in institutions such as IITs and IIMs.
The Chief Minister stated that the presence of poor people in any village should be considered a matter of concern for that village. The government was working to reduce economic inequalities and ensure that everyone could lead a dignified life, he said. Through P4, efforts were being made to improve people’s living standards, he added.
Chandrababu said Krishna waters had been brought to drought-prone areas through the Veligonda Project. He said efforts were underway to divert Godavari water to North Andhra through the left canal. Measures were being taken to ensure that Godavari waters first reach Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam next year and subsequently the Vamsadhara region, he said.
The Chief Minister made it clear that the objective was to resolve the country’s water problems through the interlinking of rivers.
He criticised the previous rulers for driving industries out of the State, saying this had adversely affected the future of the youth. He said the government was now bringing large-scale investments into Andhra Pradesh.
The government was exploring the creation of a system through which government services could be made available online to the State’s 1.60 crore families, he said. The Chief Minister said special focus was also being placed on installing solar power panels on every household under the PM Surya Ghar scheme.
Ministers Nimmala Ramanaidu and Gottipati Ravi Kumar, Deputy Speaker Raghurama Krishnam Raju, Union Minister Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, Whip Bolisetti Srinivas and other leaders participated.
Economic empowerment of poor is our primary objective, says Chandrababu Naidu
