Andhra demonstrates true meaning of gram swaraj: CM

Vijayawada: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday said the true meaning of gram swaraj was demonstrated by his government through its initiatives, welfare schemes and reforms in the past four years.

In his Independence Day address, the CM said that the state government has implemented programmes in the past four years which were seldom done by any other government in the 76-year history of independent India.

He noted that the state witnessed true gram swaraj envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi through village secretariats, ryhtu bharosa kendras (RBK), English medium schools and village clinics. In addition to all of these, digital libraries equipped with broadband services are being constructed.

Jagan said that because of the unique administrative measures taken by his government, the delivery of services such as birth certificates, caste certificates, pensions, ration and government schemes were now available at the door step of people.

The chief minister's aid in 50 months, Rs 2.31 lakh crore has been credited into the bank accounts of people in the form of welfare, without the need to bribe anyone. Most of the funds have been transferred into the bank accounts of women to empower them and make the best use of money, he added.

According to the CM, 68 percent of the ministerial berths in his Cabinet went to SC, ST, BC and minority communities to drive home the message that social justice has been rendered.

Similarly, four out of five deputy chief ministers belong to SC, ST, BC and minority communities. From temple boards to agricultural committees, we enacted laws to give 50 percent of the posts to SC, ST, BC and minority communities, Reddy added.

Adopting decentralisation as a policy, he said 13 erstwhile districts have been further split into 13 more to create 26 districts. On the trifurcation of the state's capital city, the CM said it is our government which will decentralise the capital as a right for the three regions of the state, considering it as a responsibility of the administration.

“In the past four years, we have declared war on untouchability. The social evil was not only restricted to physical excommunication but was destroying government schools where those from economically disadvantaged sections study,” he said.

He termed as 'untouchability' the argument that poor people should only study in the Telugu medium and blocking access to health services and housing schemes meant for the needy.

Further, the CM listed several schemes, subsidies and financial aid being extended to various sectors, besides highlighting the top 10 reforms in the fields of agriculture, aquaculture, dairy, land survey, irrigation and others. On the Polavaram Project, he said work was progressing well and the project would be completed by June 2025 to be dedicated to the nation.

Pointing out that only 11 government medical colleges were set up in the state in the past 100 years, Reddy said the construction of 17 more such institutions was initiated in the past four years. More than 6 lakh jobs are expected to percolate from business agreements worth Rs 13 lakh crore inked at the Global Investors Summit in Visakhapatnam. In these four years, 2 lakh new MSMEs were started in the state. Jagan said on November 26, Constitution Day, the statue of BR Ambedkar would be unveiled at Vijayawada.