Visakhapatnam, Oct 1 (IANS) The government of Andhra Pradesh has spent Rs. 48,019 crore on social security pensions in the last 16 months, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said on Wednesday.
Participating in the NTR Bharosa pension distribution programme at Datti village in the Gajapatinagaram constituency of Vizianagaram district, he claimed that Andhra Pradesh is disbursing the highest amount of pensions in the country, with 59 per cent of pensioners being women.
The Chief Minister personally handed over pensions to Ponturu Appalaraju, who is suffering from a kidney ailment, and his mother, by visiting their home.
He assured people that the NDA government will not increase power tariffs and, if possible, it will work towards reducing the tariffs.
Naidu claimed that the power sector has been brought back on track through efficient management. He alleged that the previous government had imposed a burden of Rs. 32,000 crore on power consumers by increasing tariffs nine times.
“For the first time in the country’s history, power charges will be reduced by 13 paise per unit starting November 13,” he said.
He also stated that the NDA government is providing free solar rooftops to farmers under the PM Kusum scheme, as well as to SC and ST households.
Emphasising the government’s commitment to women’s welfare and empowerment, the Chief Minister said the NDA administration is giving top priority to these areas.
Under the Talliki Vandanam scheme, Rs. 10,090 crore has been deposited into the accounts of mothers who are sending their children to school. An amount of Rs. 1,718 crore was spent on distributing gas cylinders free of cost.
In addition, the Stree Shakti scheme was launched to provide free travel for women in RTC buses, with an annual allocation of Rs. 2,963 crore.
As a result, 10 crore women travelled free of cost within just 45 days.
Housing for all by 2029 remains a key promise, he said, noting that the construction of 3 lakh houses has already been completed. Another 6 lakh set to be ready by June next year.
He mentioned that health insurance coverage has been extended to all residents of the state, with treatment costs up to Rs. 25 lakh covered for the poor.
Referring to GST reforms, he added that GST 2.0 will benefit Andhra Pradesh by Rs. 8,000 crore, and every family could save up to Rs. 1,500 per month due to reduced prices of essential commodities.
Reaffirming his commitment to the development of the North Andhra region, the Chief Minister asserted that he would take personal responsibility for its progress. As part of this vision, the Bhogapuram airport will be completed by August 2026.
Irrigation projects worth Rs. 2,000 crore will be completed within two years. The Sarvagadda mini reservoir will also be completed in two years for Rs. 25 crore.
The Chief Minister said several major IT companies, including Google, TCS, and Cognizant, are setting up offices in Visakhapatnam, and a tribal university will be established near the Central University.
Additionally, the ArcelorMittal steel plant is being set up, and the Visakha-Raipur Greenfield Highway will provide enhanced connectivity across the country.
–IANS
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