Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday directed officials to prepare and action plan to construct 4,530 digital libraries.

“Digital libraries will be setup in all the village panchayats across the state to prepare an action plan for the construction of 4,530 digital libraries,” said Reddy.

He held a review meeting on IT and digital libraries at his camp office and noted that these libraries should be useful to graduate students along with primary and secondary education.

The Chief Minister directed officials to make study material for common entrance tests available in these libraries, along with providing uninterrupted internet facility to village secretariats and rythu bharosa kendras (RBKs).

Reddy instructed officials to provide three desktops, UPS, desktop barcode printer, scanner, laser printer, software, anti-virus software, unlimited bandwidth internet along with minimum facilities in the digital libraries, including completing the construction of data centres for storage.

Similarly, he also directed officials to provide facilities such as three desktop tables, system chairs, visitor chairs, tube lights, fans, iron racks, newspapers and magazines in the digital libraries.

The state government will spend Rs 140 crore on these libraries in the first phase, which is expected to start on August 15.

Meanwhile, Reddy instructed officials to take measures to strengthen work from home (WFH) concept and provide high speed internet in villages.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday directed officials to give top priority to teachers in the vaccination programme as schools are set to reopen on August 16.

Reddy held a review meeting on the prevailing coronavirus pandemic situation in the state wherein he also called for expediting the ‘Nadu Nedu’ work in hospitals within the stipulated time.

“Complete the vaccination process to teachers soon and ensure that Covid protocols are strictly followed,” said the Chief Minister.

He instructed officials to ensure that large crowds are avoided and not more than 150 people allowed to attend weddings, even as they raise awareness on Covid containment measures.

Reddy directed the same at religious events and called on people to adopt all precautions and stay alert in the coming two months.

“Conduct only RTPCR tests as they are more accurate compared to other tests andcontinue door to door surveys, testing people with symptoms and monitor 104 services regularly for uninterrupted services,” he noted.

The Chief Minister directed officials to connect village clinics with PHCs through video conference and linking them with the labs as well.

He directed health records of people to be mapped in the villages and those details should be available at village clinics through Aarogyasri cards which can be known using QR code of Aarogyasri cards.

“These details will help the doctors visiting villages as part of family doctor concept,” he said and instructed officials to complete the works of village clinics by December.

When officials informed Reddy that MLHPs who completed BSc nursing and CPCH courses will be appointed in the village clinics along with ANMs, Reddy said Asha workers should also report in the same clinics.

According to officials, 12 types of primary treatment methods, 14 types of tests and 65 types of medicines will be available at the village clinics.

Likewise, 67 types of basic medical equipment will be available, including telemedicine services.

Meanwhile, officials informed the CM that work has been started for medical colleges in Paderu, Vizianagaram, Piduguralla and Machilipatnam.

However, a couple of public interest litigations (PILs) were filed against the land parcels of Anakapalli and Nandyala medical colleges.

Similarly, the contractors are preparing to start work in Amalapuram, Rajahmundry, Palakollu, Eluru, Bapatla, Markapuram, Madanapalle, Penukonda and Adoni.

“Pay special attention to the ‘Nadu Nedu’ programme in the health sectors… prepare an action plan in this regard. Government hospitals should be on par with corporate hospitals such that government employees also should choose government hospitals over private hospitals for treatment,” the CM added.

Reddy directed officials to prepare an SOP defining ownership policies, including focusing on hospital maintenance.

The ruling YSRCP these days is worried about MP RaghuramakrishnamRaju or even Jagan’s bête noire Chandrababu Naidu. It is more worried about an MLA from its own party. This MLA is so low profile that not even his own party leaders outside his constituency know him. He is a silent, blink-and-you-miss kind of person who has never been in the news.

This MLA is Chenna Keshava Reddy of Yemmiganuru. Though a four-time MLA, he is largely unknown because of his low profile attitude. He is not known to make comments or address press meets. But, this MLA has suddenly made comments that have sent tremors across the state. The YSRCP Is now worried that his comments might offend carefully nurtured soft Hindu and pro-Dalit image of the YSRCP.

During the recent Bakrid festival of the Muslims, Hindu organizations have strongly opposed the butchering of cows citing the anti-cow slaughter laws in the state and the country. This led to a communal clash, in which one person suffered injuries. Soon after this incident, the usually silent and non-reactive MLA called for a press conference and spoke in support of cow slaughter. He said the anti-cow slaughter laws were outdated and that they should be repealed. This has led to a state-wide furore. This was a shock to YS Jagan, who was very systematically trying to wipe off the anti-Hindu image using some swamijis.

But, he also knows that it is impossible to make Chennakeshava Reddy eat his own words. So, he kept quiet and reportedly instructed his party leaders not to comment on Chenna Keshava Reddy’s anti-cow worship comments. Last month too, Chenna Keshava Reddy criticized the Dalits for intruding into public land in the name of the construction of a church. This has angered the Dalit voters and the party is worried about this too.

It feels comments by Chenna Keshava Reddy might damage the party’s image and could hurt the carefully built image of being a soft Hindu. However, it also knows that Chenna Keshava Reddy is a tough nut to crack and it is difficult to make him retract his comments. So, it is simply waiting for the controversy to subside.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday announced a compensation of Rs 3 lakh each to six migrant labourers from Odisha, who died in Guntur district recently.

“Reddy directed the concerned officials to give Rs 3 lakh each to the deceased migrant labourers’ kin,” said an official.

The Chief Minister said the compensation should be handed over as a humanitarian gesture to the labourers’ kin, considering that they came to the state in search of livelihood.

Similarly, Reddy also instructed the concerned officials to ensure that the owners of the shrimp ponds who engaged the labourers also pay compensation to the labourers’ kin.

The six workers from Odisha were found dead near a shrimp pond in Lankavanidibba village in Guntur district on Thursday night.

The police are investigating the cause of death of the six men who were working in the shrimp ponds.

Some locals are suspecting that the workers could have died of electrocution, suspecting the power lines to have fallen on their shed. Burn injuries were also found on the bodies of the deceased workers.

The six men came to the district in search of livelihood only a few months ago.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy today (Thursday) transferred Rs 694 crore to the bank accounts of mothers of students under Jagananna Vidya Deevena scheme.

Jagan government is paying Rs 20,000 to each student per year to pursue degree and engineering courses in AP.

The government released first installment of Rs 671crore in April this year.

Second installment was released today.

Third installment will be released in December and last installment in February 2022.

Jagan said despite severe financial crisis due to Covid, he is committed to implement these welfare schemes for the benefit of poor.

Jagan said poverty can be overcome only through education and his government will ensure higher education for free for poor students in AP.