Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy released Rs 6,392.94 crore towards Jagananna Amma Vodi for the academic year 2022-23 benefiting 83, 15, 341 students of Class1 to 12 (Intermediate). The amount would be directly credited into the bank accounts of their mothers.

The programme, being implemented for the fourth year in a row, will be held for ten days across the state.

Addressing a huge public meeting of students and their parents before releasing the amount at Kurupam in Parvatipuram Manyam district on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said that parents wish their children to become highly educated and settle down well in life by getting good jobs in the country and abroad. Amma Vodi is being implemented to fulfill their wishes.

Andhra Pradesh is the only state in the country that is implementing the innovative Amma Vodi programme aiming at reducing dropout rate and increasing the GER in schools, he said.

“Government has so far spent Rs. 66,722crore in the last four years for reforming the education sector and the results are there for all to see with the poor getting access to good education,” he said.

Besides the GER going up to 100.8 from 84.48 in 2018 as a result of the reforms, Government schools across the State are shining with Nadu-Nedu, he said.

The number of top ten rankers in Government schools in Class X went up to 64 from 20 last year, he said, adding that the number of students who achieved more than 75 percent marks also went up to 67, 114 from 63 275 last year. The percentage of students who got first class went up to 70 from 66 last year.

The Chief Minister also expressed happiness that 67 students who studied in Government schools got seats in IITs, NIT and other Central universities with ranks in JEE advanced examinations.

So far, the Government has released an amount of Rs 26,067.28 crore under the Amma Vodi programme providing annual financial assistance of Rs 15,000 each to the poor and needy mothers who are sending their wards to schools and Intermediate courses.

Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy paid the financial assistance of Rs 6,595 crore under Amma Vodi scheme for the third consecutive year in Srikakulam on Monday. This amount would benefit 43,96,402 families for the education of their children.

Speaking on the occasion, Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the government has disbursed the financial assistance benefiting 82, 31,502 school students for the academic year 2021-22. He credited the financial assistance of Rs. 15,000 under the scheme into the bank accounts of mothers of school children studying from Class I to Class XII.

The Chief Minister claimed that by successfully implementing revolutionary measures under various schemes in the education sector, there has been a remarkable increase in the number of students enrolled in government schools. The strength has increased from 37.21 lakh in 2018-19 to 44.30 lakh students in 2021-22.

The Amma Vodi scheme gives a school-going child’s mother Rs 15,000 per year for educational expenditure. Out of this the government would use Rs. 2,000 for the use of the School Maintenance Fund (SMF) and Toilet Maintenance fund (TMF), he added.

“As of now, the government has spent Rs 19,617.53 crore benefitting 44.50 lakh mothers and 82.31 lakh children under the scheme. To ensure that the funds are used judiciously, the government has decided to implement mandatory attendance of 75 per cent for students which will enable their mothers to derive the benefits of the Amma Vodi scheme. But this time, the government has exempted the ‘minimum 75% attendance restriction’ in 2019-20 and 2021-22 due to the pandemic. Significantly, besides depositing money directly into mothers’ accounts, it also empowers mothers with the right to question the college management and demand accountability,” the chief minister asserted.

In the second year of ‘Amma Vadi’, AP Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy has transferred Rs. 6,673 Cr directly into the bank accounts of over 45 lakh mothers. The CM said that his aim is to help the poor mothers give good education to their children. He has seen their problems and inabilities to educate their children during his Padayatra.

At his today’s public meeting in Nellore, the Chief Minister asserted that in just 19 months, his Government has brought in a revolution in education. The poor mothers are not able to send their children to top educational opportunities. Just for sending their children to schools and colleges, the poor mothers’ were being given Rs. 15,000 each. No longer the mothers would send their children to work for lack of money to educate them.

Mr. Jagan said that in the past, the private and corporate schools used to exploit the poor families by charging exorbitant fees. But that situation was not there now. Best facilities were being provided in the schools now. The Nadu Nedu programme was being implemented for achieving this purpose.

The CM said that if any child won’t come to school, their parents would be called on the first day. If the child does not for a second day, the volunteer will visit their homes to enquire about the reasons. Such is the care that the YCP regime is taking.