Fifty-six chairpersons and 672 new directors were sworn into the Backward Classes (BC) corporations on Thursday at the BC Sankranthi Sabha in the presence of the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Reiterating that the BC communities have always been an integral part of the society, the Chief Minister said that the state had created history by setting up 56 BC corporations for 139 Backward Classes in the state.
The main objective of BC corporations is to provide financial assistance for the creation of income-generating assets and to provide financial assistance to artisans for improving their livelihood activities. Jagan said the BC corporations will help the state in the overall development of the small and marginal sections.
While 29 BC corporation chairperson posts have been allotted to women, another 336 women out of the 672 posts under the BC corporation have been appointed as directors.
Setting up of a BC corporation was a poll promise made by Jagan during his ‘padayatra’ ahead of polls in 2019. The Chief Minister said that the YSRCP government has always given the topmost priority to BCs in Andhra Pradesh.
The CM said that in the last 18 months, 90% of the promises made in the party manifesto have been fulfilled and that the SCs/STs/BCs and minority communities have been given top priority in all the schemes implemented. The YSRCP government has spent Rs 38,519 crore for the development of BCs in the last 18 months, benefitting over 2.88 crore people, said a statement from the Chief Minister’s office.
Speaking further on the schemes, Jagan said that schemes like AmmaVodi, a financial assistance scheme to educate children from below poverty line households, is entering the second phase on January 9, 2021, and has benefitted 19.66 lakh people in the state so far.
Under AmmaVodi, the government says it has spent Rs 6,500 crore to benefit 82 lakh students and 43 lakh, mothers. The scheme is open to all communities.
Calling his state a pro-farmer state, Jagan said that under the Rythu Bharosa scheme for land owing farmers, Rs 6,750 crore was being spent to provide farmers with the yearly financial assistance of Rs 13,500. He said that under this scheme, 23.69 lakh farmers were identified from the BC community.
Similarly, under housing for the poor, the YSRCP government will distribute 31 lakh house site pattas, out of which 15.92 lakh are women beneficiaries from the BC community, will receive the pattas as promised, the CM informed. Under YSR Nethanna Nestham a financial incentive scheme meant for weavers, nearly 81,000 families have benefited by receiving Rs 384 crore, and all hail from the backward community.
The CM also added that through YSR Matsakara Bharosa 1.07 lakh BC families, via Jaganannna Chedhodu, 2.27 lakh BC families, through YSR Aarogyasri around 5.24 lakh BCs, through YSR Aarogya Asara 1.38 lakh people from the backward community, via YSR Pension Kanuka around 30.27 lakh BC families, and through YSR Aasara about 42.60 lakh women from backward communities have been benefitted.