Vijayawada: Audimulapu Suresh denies Kanuka kits are Central scheme

Vijayawada: Education minister Audimulapu Suresh said the state government was spending Rs 650 crore for Jagananna Vidya Kanuka kits to 43 lakh children studying in the government schools.

Speaking to media after releasing Eamcet results at the media point of the R&B office here on Saturday, the minister said Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the Vidya Kanuka kits distribution and the schools were following the Covid guidelines while carrying out the distribution.

According to him, the school bags cost Rs 69.44 crore, note books Rs.79.05 crore, shoes and socks cost Rs 67.75 crore, belts Rs 10.13 crore and workbooks Rs 29.70 crore. He said the government was ready to distribute kits to each and every student in the state schools.

He said the Chief Minister had introduced Vidya Kanuka kits so that poverty would not be an hurdle for the education.

He said other states in the country were also looking at Andhra Pradesh to implement the same scheme.

Suresh alleged that misconceptions were being created that Jagananna Vidya kanuka scheme was not related to Andhra Pradesh and was Centrally-funded scheme. He said the Central government granted Rs 100 crore only for uniforms but the state government was spending Rs 293 crore to distribute three pairs of uniforms to each student.

He said the government was getting ready to deposit uniform stitching charges in the bank accounts of the parents.