TDP keeps poll promise: Nara Lokesh

Amaravati: After three-and-a-half year of tantalising wait, the unemployed youth are going to get allowance of Rs 1,000 per month from the state government.

The scheme, named Mukhyamantri Yuavanestam, will benefit 12.26 lakh youth in Andhra Pradesh. The help, called stipend, will be credited to the beneficiaries' accounts directly. The state cabinet, which met here on Thursday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, took the decision to implement the Telugu Desam Party's 2014 election-eve promise.

By rolling out the scheme, Chandrababu Naidu sought to woo a sizeable and influential section of society which can make or mar an election.

Spelling out the details of the scheme after the cabinet meeting, Panchayat Raj and IT minister N Lokesh told media-persons that the eligibility criteria would be that one should be between 22 and 35 years of age.

If there is more than one youth in a family who are unemployed, they also would be eligible for receiving the stipend. The government will finalise the list of beneficiaries with the data from the smart pulse survey conducted in the past. Apart from paying the stipend, the government would provide training in skill development for the youth.

Lokesh said:"Mukhyamantri- Yuvanestham is unique. No state government in the country has a similar programme. The unemployed youth, who want to avail themselves of the benefit, should register their names online from August 3. The portal where they could register their names would be created in the third or fourth week of this month."