Vijayawada: Delivering the Budget speech in the AP Assembly on Wednesday, finance minister Buggana Rajendranath said the YSRC government upheld seven goals to ensure all-round growth of the state.These were Decentralisation of Governance (Suparipalita Andhra), Samarthya Andhra (Empowered Andhra), Mana Mahila Mahanarula Andhra (Empowered Woman), Samkshema Andhra (Social Safety Andhra), Sampanna Andhra (Accomplished Andhra), Bhubhadhra Andhra (Land Safety Andhra) and Annapurna (prosperous) Andhra. The finance minister said the initiatives of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy centered around decentralisation of administration, good governance, welfare of the people and development of industry and infrastructure.He cited instances of the Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam (Governance at doorstep) and the setting up of 15,004 village and ward secretariats with 1, 35,000 employees and appointment of 2,66,000 volunteers to serve people at their doorsteps. The YSRC government has also raised the number of districts from 13 to 26 and revenue divisions from 52 to 77.Speaking about the revolutionary changes in the health sector, Rajendranath said, “Enhancement of annual free medical treatment limit under YSR Aarogyasri to ` 25 lakh, introduction of village health clinics, the family doctor concept, coupled with the programmes like Dr YSR Aarogya Aasara and Jagananna Aarogya Suraksha have taken the preventive healthcare to the doorsteps of the people.”For empowering youth and helping them get job opportunities, the government has established 192 skill hubs and 27 skill development training colleges in which 1,06,000 youth were trained, he said, adding that 95 per cent of them got employment.In the education sector, the FM said the digitalisation of classrooms, CBSE syllabus, English medium and training in future skills were introduced. These apart, the government signed an MoU with the International Baccalaureate (IB) for imparting training in modern subjects to make the AP students globally competitive.Programmes like Mana Badi-Nadu Nedu and welfare initiatives like the Jagananna Vidya Kanuka, Vidya Deevena, Vasathi Deevena, Videshi Vidya Deevena and Jagananna Gorumudda have transformed the educational system by improving literacy and GER ratio, he said.He said students from the weaker sections are now able to pursue higher education in top universities abroad.Rajendranath claimed, “The schemes like Amma Vodi, YSR Sunna Vaddi and YSR Cheyuta have resulted in the social and economic empowerment of 78.94 lakh women of 7.98 lakh self-help groups.”So far, the government has disbursed `2,53,000 crore under DBT welfare schemes and `1.68,000 crore under non-DBT welfare schemes with full transparency and spent `84, 731 crore towards social pensions for 66, 35,000 beneficiaries.After 100 years, the government has also taken up resurvey of lands under YSR Jagananna Saswatha Bhu Hakku Mariyu Bhu Raksha to protect the rights of rightful landowners.Dwelling at length on welfare schemes, Rajendranath said the government distributed 30,65,315 house site pattas worth `1,53,000 crore in the last five years – while only 4,63,697 house site pattas had been distributed during the Telugu Desam rule.Various initiatives of the YSRC government have resulted in social, economic and political empowerment of SCs, STs, BCs and minorities.On the infrastructure and development front, Rajendranath explained that the government is constructing four seaports, 10 fishing harbours and six fish landing centres besides taking up the works of Bhogapuram International Airport, developing state highways, connecting 11, 254 villages through broadband services, establishing 17 new medical colleges and encouraging setting up of green energy plants.The FM added that since 2019, 311 heavy industries have been set up and employment has been provided to 1,30,000 lakh persons while MSMEs, set up with an investment of `5,995 crore, employing 13,67,618 persons, have already started production.
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