Total fee reimbursement a revolution, says Jagan

Tirupati: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has transferred Rs 709.20 crore into the accounts of 10.85 lakh mothers who are the beneficiaries of Jagananna Vidya Deevena (JVD) scheme. After addressing a public meeting at the SV University Tarakarama Stadium in Tirupati on Thursday, he pressed the laptop button to credit the amount into beneficiaries' accounts.

Speaking on the occasion, the CM reiterated his government's commitment to increase educational standards in the state. "Education is a great asset we can give to the children which no one can steal away from them. Education can change our fate completely towards betterment. For this reason, former CM YS Rajasekhar Reddy introduced the fee reimbursement scheme which no other leader subsequently has improved. I have brought in an educational revolution through the complete reimbursement scheme," he said.

Jagan said his government has spent Rs 10,994 crore so far towards Jagananna Vidya Deevena and VasathiDeevena schemes. For the last three years, fee reimbursement was being implemented completely under the JVD scheme and the amount is credited into the beneficiaries' accounts on a quarterly basis. The January – March quarter amount has been credited from Tirupati and the people should recognise this change which helps in continuing the education of their children. During the 3.5-year tenure of the government so far, it has spent Rs 40,000 crore on all education-related schemes which includes Nadu-Nedu, Vidya Kanuka, Gorumudda, YSR SampoornaPoshana, Vidya Deevena, VasathiDeevena and Amma Vodi, the CM said, adding that the expenditure on education schemes have yielded fruitful results as the number of students have increased in the state. From 70.43 lakh students in classes 1 to 10 in 2018-19, the number has gone up to 73 lakhs now which includes both government and private schools.

Similarly, the Nadu-Nedu scheme has changed the fate of government schools due to which the number of students in these schools have increased to 44.39 lakhs now which was only 37 lakhs in 2018-19, he added.

The English medium has been introduced in government schools. Students are getting bilingual textbooks along with dictionaries, socks, school bags, etc, under Vidya Kanuka Scheme. Unlike the previous government which used to distribute books after 8-9 months of reopening, this government has been giving them to the students at the commencement of the academic year itself, the CM said.

Under the Gorumudda scheme, the government has spent Rs 1,900 crore as against Rs 500 crore for the mid-day meal scheme by the previous government. "We have introduced a different menu for each day which includes nutritious food which no other CM has even tried to think of. People should identify this difference between the previous and the present government,", the CM averred.

Earlier, Tourism Minister RK Roja, Social Welfare Minister M Nagarjuna, local MLA B Karunakar Reddy and others also spoke. Deputy CM K Narayana Swamy, Ministers Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, Botcha Satyanarayana, Vidadala Rajani, MLAs Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, Biyyapu Madhusudan Reddy, A Sreenivasulu, Adimulam, Collector K Venkata Ramana Reddy and other officials participated in the programme.