The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Two major schemes for poor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 17, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Two major schemes for poor

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, NOV. 16. The Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, will launch two major programmes — Rajiv Yuvashakti and Indira Prabha — on November 19 in line with the Congress' pledge to usher in Indiramma rajyam, benefiting the downtrodden.

The Yuva Sahakti programme will be launched at Shilpakala Vedika here at 10.20 a.m. and Indira Prabha at 3.30 p.m. at Sarikondapalem in Guntur district. Ministers will simultaneously inaugurate these programmes in other districts under their charge.

Rajiv Yuvashakti is the name given by Dr. Reddy to the existing CMEY programme whereas Indira Prabha is a new project with an allocation of Rs. 500 crores for development of lands distributed to SCs, STs and other weaker sections. The Government will begin distribution of one-lakh acres of surplus lands from the Republic Day under an unnamed scheme. It is presumed that by initiating these steps, the Government will be addressing itself to one of the main issues raised by naxalites.

Briefing reporters after a Cabinet meeting here today, the Information Minister, Mohd. Ali Shabbir, said the Cabinet cleared a Rs. 321-crore budget for Rajiv Yuvashakti for this year to benefit about one lakh unemployed youth. It would encourage self-employment schemes with funding up to Rs. 1 lakh in each case.

Land development

Under Indira Prabha, 3.94 lakh acres of land held by 2.72 lakh beneficiaries would be developed by levelling and sinking borewells. NABARD will fund the programme wholly while the Government would repay the loan without burdening the beneficiary. The Cabinet resolved to bring corporate hospitals under scrutiny to ensure free treatment to the poor. The meeting considered complaints that corporate hospitals were not helping the poor in violation of the undertaking when they availed themselves of the benefits of land at subsidised rates and waiver of import duties on equipment. It was decided to depute teams to these hospitals for a scrutiny of their performance in relation to this clause if the report by the committee, which had gone into this aspect already, was found not satisfactory.

The meeting also discussed amendments to the Andhra Pradesh Exhibition of Films & Television Screen through Video-Cassette Recorders Regulation Act, 1993, for curbing video-piracy, a complaint made by the film industry. However, the discussion on the anti-piracy bill was inconclusive and posted for the next meeting. Mr. Shabbir said a Bill would be drafted for consideration by the Assembly.

One post of Special Collector and seven posts of Land Acquisition Officer were sanctioned for completion of the 158-km, Rs. 1,410-crore Hyderabad's 8-lane Outer Ring-Road which would replace people in 31 villages in Ranga Reddy and seven in Medak districts.

A four-month deadline was set for completion of the Outer Ring-Road for Hyderabad.

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Andhra Pradesh