Jagan credits ₹285 crore to OBC beneficiaries under DBT scheme

The beneficiaries include tailors, barbers and dhobis (washermen) having their units. Under the scheme, an amount of ₹10,000 was credited into the accounts of each beneficiary, the chief minister said.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday disbursed the second tranche of ₹285.35 crores as a direct benefit transfer (DBT) into the accounts of 285,000 beneficiaries belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBC), under the Jagananna Chedodu scheme.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy says his government considers the Backward Classes as the backbone of the society and is empowering the weaker sections socially, economically, and politically. (HT)

The beneficiaries include tailors, barbers and dhobis (washermen) having their units. Under the scheme, an amount of ₹10,000 was credited into the accounts of each beneficiary, the chief minister said.

Speaking on the occasion, Jagan said that his government has been implementing a welfare agenda under Navaratnalu (nine jewels) programme, as promised in the election manifesto of the ruling YSR Congress party, covering every section of the society.

He said under the Jagananna Chedodu (handholding by Jagan) scheme, his government has credited ₹587.78 crores to the accounts of all the eligible beneficiaries so far?. This year, an amount of ₹146.10 crores was credited into the accounts of 146,103 tailors owning shops, followed by ₹98.44 crores to 98,439 dhobis and ₹40.81 crores to 40,808 barbers.

“The funds provided by the government can be utilised for purchasing tools, equipment and other essentials to boost their business,” he said.

Jagan said his government considers the Backward Classes as the backbone of the society and is empowering the weaker sections socially, economically, and politically.

“Andhra Pradesh is the first to bring the OBC Commission and has made laws in implementing 50 per cent reservation for OBCs, SCs, STs and minorities and women in all nominated posts and contracts. Even during the composition of the state cabinet, 60 per cent posts were given to these weaker sections,” he said.

The chief minister found fault with the Left parties for carrying the agenda of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) by instigating the teachers to continue their strike, though all the other employees had called off their plan for an indefinite strike. The state government employees had been agitating for pay revision and threatened to go on indefinite strike from Feb 6 midnight, but called off the strike after the government conceded most of their demands.Thousands of teachers affiliated to the Communist Party of India and CPI (Marxist) have been continuing the agitation as they were not happy with the deal with the government.

He further said that TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu had stalled the construction of houses for the weaker sections in Amaravati in March 2020. The TDP moved the high court challenging the decision of the government to construct weaker section houses in Amaravati, on the ground that the lands are meant for capital construction, not for housing programme. HC stayed the government order. “Naidu is currently instigating employees against the government. No one wants the strike except those who were adamant in making Naidu the chief minister,” he said.

He said there were only 397,000 government employees till 2019. After the YSRCP came to power, as many as 184,264 new jobs were created and over 100,000 outsourcing employees have been receiving provident funds and other social security benefits.

“By regularizing state road transport corporation employees alone, the state government is bearing an additional burden of ₹3600 crores every year. The salary bill for 3.7 lakh government employees was only ₹1,198 crore till 2019, but now it has increased to ₹3,187 crores per annum,” the chief minister said.

Besides, his government had enhanced wages for various sections of employees such as Anganwadi workers, municipal sanitation workers, health workers, home guards and ambulance drivers. “Yet, the TDP is trying to instigate the employees to go on strike,” he alleged.

Senior TDP leader and former minister Kollu Ravindra accused the Jagan government of making false claims on Jagananna Chedodu scheme, in order to mislead the backward classes people to derive undue political advantage.

Ravindra said that not even 10 percent of the deserving beneficiaries were getting this benefit. If the government had any sincerity, it should provide correct details on the population of the barbers, dhobis and tailors in the state, he added.