Minister for Education Botsa Satyanarayana took strong exception to the Opposition parties remarks on GO 1 and suggested them go study the content before making further comments.

Addressing the media on Saturday, Botsa said that TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu and his friendly media are unnecessarily creating a ruckus over the GO meant to regulate public gatherings to safeguard people. It does not restrain rallies and meetings and explains the disadvantages of conducting rallies and meetings on roads and highways.

Explaining the reasons for issuing GO, he blamed Naidu’s self-promotion mission for the stampede deaths at Kandukuru and Guntur, besides injuries to several others.

To protect the public interests, the State government has issued orders to safeguard the public and prevent recurrence of unfortunate incidents. An inquiry was ordered by the government to find the lapses during the recent meetings of the TDP chief, he said, adding that it’s not prudent on part of Naidu to blame YSRCP for the unfortunate incidents.

He also took a dig at Naidu for violating the orders during his recent visit to Kuppam. Instead, he should tender an open apology to the public and should own the responsibility for the stampede deaths, he said adding that Sena Chief Pawan Kalyan will only express the ideology of Naidu, ignoring the public interests.

Referring to the padyatras of former Chief Minister Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, he said they conducted padyatras in a systematic manner after taking approvals from the police and without causing any inconvenience to public.

Reacting to the ‘Yuvagalam’ padyatra of Nara Lokesh, the minister maintained that Lokesh who had no achievements to claim during his stint as a minister has no credibility to conduct padyatra.

Senior YSR Congress leader and Minister for Education, Botsa Satyanarayana, wants the state government to declare Visakhapatnam as the executive capital of the state. He also wanted chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to shift the executive to this port city.

The Minister addressed a meeting of the party leaders from Parvatipuram Manyam district on Friday, Botsa wanted the chief minister to make an announcement on Visakhapatnam as the executive capital. He also said that those who oppose Visakhapatnam as executive capital have no right to visit the north Andhra region.

The Minister also took strong exception to TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu touring the Vizianagaram district. He said that Chandrababu Naidu who was the chief minister for over 14 years had never done anything for the Uttarandhra region.

Bosta Satyanarayana said that the YSR Congress activists were visiting every house and meeting people. The people were giving a positive response to the government as no family was left out of any benefit in the last three-and-a-half years.

Botsa Satyanarayana thanked the chief minister for selecting Visakhapatnam as the executive capital and claimed that the people of the region were strongly supporting it. He criticised the TDP and the others for opposing Visakha as the capital only to promote the big real estate project in Amaravati.

Minister for Education, Botsa Satyanarayana alleged that two major media houses in Andhra Pradesh were spitting venom on the state government and the ruling YSR Congress.

Speaking to media persons, Botsa alleged that Eenadu and Andhra Jyothi were spreading false reports against the government and the YSR Congress. He wondered why the two media houses were carrying out a campaign against the government and the ruling party.

The Minister said that people have voted the YSR Congress Party to power in the 2019 elections giving them a historic mandate of 151 MLAs in the house of 175. Despite that, the media houses were not accepting the government like the opposition TDP, the minister said.

Botsa advised the two media houses to declare them as the mouthpieces of the opposition Telugu Desam Party. He said that these media houses and some other houses were leading a false campaign against the YSR Congress and the State government to get political benefit to the TDP.

The Minister said that they have carried out a similar campaign against the YSR Congress during the 2019 general election. However, he asserted that people did not buy their lies during the election. He asserted that people were not buying those lies even now.

The Minister claimed that the YSR Congress would wrest the power with even more seats as the government was implementing the direct cash benefit programmes despite the Covid 19 pandemic. He said that people across the state have received some or the other benefit from the government during the last three and a half years.

He discounted the media campaign against the government and advised those media houses to have some sense before publishing false reports. People were cross checking their reports with social media, the Minister said.

Minister for Education Botsa Satyanarayana claimed that the state government had not closed any school in the state. In the midst of a campaign in the media and protests by the students and parents in some parts of the state, the minister said that the schools are being integrated for better results and not closed.

There have been reports of the government closing the schools to maintain teacher-student ratio as per the New Education Policy 2020 issued by the Central government. The students are to be adjusted to the nearest school to maintain this ratio. Accordingly, the State government issued GO MS 117 on June 10, 2022 for rationalisation of student-teacher ratio.

The Minister said that the state government is considering various aspects including the proximity of the school and the accessibility to the school. If the students have to cross streams, rivulets and other water bodies to reach the school, the government would not shift the classes to maintain the student-teacher ratio, he added.

The Minister further said that the government had brought a new education system in accordance with the Central Government’s New Education Policy. According to this, the government had redesigned the schools into five categories, he said. While the existing system has three categories of Primary, Upper Primary and High Schools, the new system would have Satellite Foundation Schools, Foundation Schools, Foundation School Plus, Pre-High Schools, High Schools and High School Plus.

The junior colleges with intermediate courses are now integrated in the high school plus as 10+2 system, the minister added. Like the primary, upper primary and high schools, the new system would have these schools and that does not mean closing of any school, the Minister asserted.

However, the teachers, students and the parents in some parts of the state continue to hold protests against the proposal. While the parents and students are opposing the merger of classes in the new system, the teachers are opposing the move against the rationalisation as per the student-teacher ratio.

Education Minister Botsa Satyanarayana refuted the allegations of the Opposition and a section of media on closure of 8000 government schools. He further clarified that not a single school was closed and stated that opposition leaders are misleading people with baseless allegations.

The Minister said that currently 42750 schools are functioning in the State, adding that only a few changes are being made right from anganwadis to all educational institutions, as the government is setting up foundation schools according to the new education policy.

He said that the government is striving to provide quality education along with better opportunities to the students and thus rolled out many reforms to increase the educational standard from Class-I. He stated that opposition leaders are behind the malicious propaganda against the government as they are unable to digest the revolutionary reforms.

The Minister demanded the opposition leaders prove where the schools were closed. He said out of 42750 schools, 5250 schools have been mapped and only 296 schools are located at a distance exceeding one kilometre and stated that changes will be made if any student faces inconvenience.

He said that the government is adamant on providing English medium education, as they can gain better opportunities and withstand the competitive world.

Further, he said that the State government is prioritizing the education sector by implementing schemes like Vidya Devena, Vidya Kanuka, Vasati Devena, Amma Vodi, while the previous government had never cared about students or their education.

He said that Chandrababu Naidu has no moral right to speak on Vidya Kanuka or Goru Muddha, as he couldn’t think of giving such kits at free of cost and even failed to provide proper food to the students in midday meals during his tenure.

Minister for Education Botsa Satyanarayana skipped the review meeting on his ministry by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy at Tadepalli camp office on Wednesday. It was the second review meeting by the chief minister after the cabinet rejig. He reviewed the health and medical on Tuesday and education on Monday.

After the rejig, the chief minister had allocated the education ministry to Botsa Satyanarayana and municipal administration and urban development to Adimulapu Suresh. Interestingly, the chief minister swapped the portfolios between the two ministers.

It is said that Botsa Satyanarayana is not interested in holding the portfolio. He is being trolled on social media for the portfolio. While it is not known whether Botsa Satyanarayana took these trolling seriously or not interested in the portfolio. He was unavailable for the review meeting with the chief minister, the officials said.

The chief minister had enquired with the officials about the minister and had proceeded with the review meeting once the officials told him that the minister is unavailable. He had reportedly told the officials to brief the activities to the minister and speed up the programmes set for the year 2022-23.

Botsa Satyanarayana is currently touring his home district Vizianagaram after being sworn in on Monday. Sources say that Botsa had expected transport or Panchayat Raj or other portfolios and not education. In fact, he is not comfortable with the portfolio as he would have to interact with the professors and vice-chancellors in his capacity.

While those who were dropped from the cabinet have a reason to protest, Botsa Satyanarayana seems to have different reasons to protest and abstain from the review meeting. It is to be seen if he would succeed in getting his portfolio changed or get adjusted with it.

Andhra Pradesh’s minister for municipal administration Botsa Satyanarayana said on Thursday that the state government remains committed to its decision to develop three state capitals.

He told reporters that three capital Bills will soon be tabled in the Assembly. His statement came hours after Andhra Pradesh High Court pronounced its orders on petitions filed by Amaravati farmers challenging trifurcation of the capital.

He said the government would react to the verdict after going through the judgment. He said the government will examine the details in the judgment and then decide whether to challenge it in the Supreme Court or not.

The minister said that the YSR Congress Party government’s policy is to develop three capitals to ensure decentralization and development of all regions.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday directed the state government to complete implementation of Amaravati capital city master plan in six months.

The court also asked the government to hand over developed plots with all basic amenities to farmers within three months. The government was also asked not to alienate lands in Amaravati for any purpose other than development of state capital.

The court said that the Legislature has no legislative competence to pass any resolution/law for change of capital or bifurcating or trifurcating the capital city.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra pronounced the judgment on 75 petitions filed by Amaravati farmers and others challenging the government’s move for trifurcation of state capital.

The court directed the government to keep it informed about the development works taken up as per capital city master plan.

“How can the plots be given in three months. We have to see whether this is practical or not,” the minister remarked.

Botsa Satyanarayana also argued that state legislature and Parliament have the right to make legislation. He also contended that the state legislature can also make laws with regard to the state capitals.

Delhi’s political circles are viewing AP’s key minister and key leader of North Andhra region Botsa Satyanarayana’s regular tours to New Delhi. Botsa has been visiting Delhi on a regular basis. But interestingly, he is said to be staying in star hotels and not in AP Bhavan. Nothing is being revealed about these visits to Delhi.

Interestingly, most of these meetings are being claimed as his personal visits and not official visits. Botsa has been a long standing politician with deep connections in New Delhi, especially in the Congress party and also the BJP. Sources say that he is not too happy with the dominance of Vijaysai Reddy and other leaders over the North Andhra politics. Unlike earlier, he has not been seen to be vocal on many issues these days.

All these are giving rise to questions about his ‘personal’ visits to Delhi. There are doubts about who he is meeting and what is transpiring at these meetings. He is not even bothering to meet the Telugu media in New Delhi, according to sources.

Meanwhile there are unconfirmed reports that YS Jagan is planning to send senior leaders like Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy of Chittoor and Botsa Satyanarayana of Vizianagaram to Delhi. This in effect is nothing but reducing their influence on local politics. This is being seen as an attempt to cut at the roots of Botsa’s political base. Botsa is said to be unhappy at these developments. Analysts see some kind of link between these Delhi tours and the developments back in Andhra Pradesh.