Vijayawada, Feb 5 (Representative) Andhra Pradesh Government has so far spent Rs 73,417 Crores exclusively in the Education sector believing that education will help to eradicate poverty, Governor S Abdul Nazeer said on Sunday while addressing the joint session of the current budget session of the state Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council. Addressing the joint session the Governor said, believing that investment in education always gives the highest return, the Government had spent Rs 73,417 Crores so far exclusively on novel schemes introduced in the Education sector. “We have also all the development and welfare measures put in place for the welfare of the poorest, most vulnerable, under-privileged and remotest area exactly on these lines and there is every need to continue the development momentum till the future generations enjoy its fruits perennially,” the Governor said. The Government launched “Jagananna Ammavodi” scheme and directly deposited an annual financial assistance of Rs 15,000 in the bank accounts of each mother belonging to BPL families with children studying from class I to Intermediate. So far an amount of Rs 26,067 crore has been spent, benefitting 43.61 lakh mothers and 83 lakh children, he disclosed. “The modernizing of government schools was taken up at a cost of Rs 7,163.00 crore to make students from socially deprived backgrounds, globally competitive, and distributed 9,52,925 TABs, with pre- loaded Byju’s content of classes VIII IX to the VIII Class students with an expenditure of Rs 1,306 Crores. The Government has introduced TOEFL in schools (Teaching of English as Foreign Language),” he added.
Through Jagananna Vasathi Deevena, the Government is providing an allowance of up to Rs 20,000 for boarding and lodging charges, in two installments every year into the joint accounts of mothers and students and so far an amount of Rs 4,276 Crores has been disbursed to 25,17,245 beneficiaries, the Governor said. Under the Aarogyasri scheme, 2315 impanelled Network Hospitals perform 3257 procedures including high- end procedures like Bilateral Cochlear Implant Surgery, and treatment for cancer without any ceiling limit. Since 2019, about 36 lakh patients have been benefited under YSR Aarogyasri and the cumulative expenditure incurred works out to Rs 12,150 Crore, the Governor explained. The Government is extending YSR Rythu Bharosa – PM Kisan assistance of Rs. 13,500 per year not only to the farmers cultivating their lands but also to eligible SC, ST, BC, Minority tenant farmers and disbursed so far Rs 33,300 Crores to 53.53 lakh farmers under the scheme. Andhra Pradesh is the only state in India to implement Universal free crop Insurance where the farmers’ share of premium is paid by the State Government on behalf of the farmers for all crops notified under this scheme. So far, the Government has settled claims of 54.75 lakh farmers worth Rs 7802.05 Crores, he added. The construction of Bhogapuram International Greenfield Airport in Vizianagaram district is expedited and the airport will be ready for commissioning in 30 months’ time, the Governor added.