VIJAYAWADA, NOV 23  :   Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday released Rs 81.64 crore towards the fourth tranche of YSR Kalyanamasthu and YSR Shaadi Tohfa schemes, benefiting girls married during the quarter from July-September 2023.

Releasing the amount with the click of a button virtually from the Camp Office here, the Chief Minister said that the scheme aims at helping girls from the poor, the SC, ST, BC, the minority communities, construction worker families and the disabled to pursue their education.

The amount, benefitting 10,511 couples, would be directly credited into the bank accounts of their mothers. So far, a total of Rs. 348.84 crore was disbursed to 46,062 beneficiaries under the scheme.

The Government has made Class X mandatory for the girls and their grooms to become eligible for the scheme and also fixed the marriage age limit for girls and boys as 18 and 21 respectively.

These conditions, coupled with other welfare schemes like Vidya Deevena, Vasathi Deevena and Amma Vodi, help the girls continue their education at the college level also besides avoiding child marriages, reducing drop-out rate and increasing the GRE (Gross Enrolment Ratio) in schools and colleges.

He said it is a matter of happiness that 8042 girls out of 10,511 beneficiaries have also received the benefits of Amma Vodi, Vasathi Deevena and Vidya Deevena indicating that majority of them are pursuing college education.

Reasserting that education is the only weapon that eliminates social ills like poverty and transforms the society into a dynamic one, Reddy said that the Kalyanamasthu scheme also works as an additional factor towards this transformation.

While the differently-abled people and construction workers were promised Rs 1,00,000 and Rs 20,000 each in the TDP rule, they have been getting the enhanced benefits of Rs 1,50,000 and Rs. 40,000 respectively now.

Similarly, the incentives for SC, ST, and BC beneficiaries who opted for inter-caste marriage went up to Rs 1,20,000 from Rs 75,000 each, to Rs 1,20,000 from Rs 75,000 each, and to Rs 75,000 from Rs 50,000 each respectively.(UNI)