YS Jagan releases Rs 141.60 crore under YSR Kalyanamasthu, Shadi Tohfa

AMARAVATI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday released Rs 141.60 crore towards financial assistance under YSR Kalyanamasthu and YSR Shaadi Tohfa to benefit 18,883 girls who got married during the April -June 2023 quarter.

The amount would be directly credited into the bank accounts of beneficiaries belonging to SC, ST,BC, Minorities, disabled, and construction workers. Depositing the amount virtually at his camp office in Tadepalli on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said that the scheme was not only meant to financially support the girls but also making Class X mandatory for implementation of the scheme, which would change the mindset of parents to educate their children.

YS Jagan said that the implementation of Amma Vodi, Jagananna Vidya Deevena and Vasthi Deevena would usher in a revolution in the education sector in the State drastically reducing the dropout rate in schools and increasing the enrolment. The intended results were tangible as 7,344 girls out of 8,524 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-21 years were graduates due to Amma Vodi, Jagananna Vidya Deevena and Vasthi Deevena, he said.

Reasserting that education is the panacea for driving away poverty and other ills from society, the Chief Minister said that the other intention of the scheme was to prevent poor families from falling into a debt trap. “Parents want their girls to have a good education and lead a happy, settled life. Schemes like YSR Kalyanamasthu and YSR Shaadi Tohfa will go a long way in helping poor families realize this dream,” YS Jagan said.

In addition to the assistance provided now, within a span of nine months, as many as 35,551 eligible girls benefited from the scheme and the State Government credited Rs 267.20 crore directly into their accounts, he said. “In this third tranche, we have included 227 couples who missed the benefits for various reasons in the first two tranches,” he said.

Drawing a contrast with the previous TDP regime, the Chief Minister said that the earlier government had implemented the scheme for name sake and ditched 17,709 girls. While SC, ST, BC, and minority beneficiaries got Rs 40,000, Rs 50,000, Rs 35,000, and Rs 50,000 each during the TDP rule, the YSRCP Government hiked it to Rs 1,00,000, Rs 1,00,000, Rs 50,000, and Rs 1,00,000 respectively, he said.

While the differently-abled people and construction workers received Rs 1,00,000 and Rs 20,000 each respectively in the TDP rule, they would now get the hiked benefit of Rs 1,50,000 and Rs. 40,000 respectively. Similarly, the incentives of SC, ST, and BC beneficiaries who opted for inter-caste marriage went up to Rs 1,20,000 from Rs 75,000 each, to Rs 1, 20,000 from Rs 75,000 each, and to Rs 75,000 from Rs 50,000 each respectively, YS Jagan said.