The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Budget for Pavala Vaddi to be hiked

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Monday, Feb 04, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Budget for Pavala Vaddi to be hiked

Staff Reporter

‘Allocation for the scheme hiked from Rs. 1,100 to Rs. 3,400 crore in three years’

— Photo: Mohd. Arif

Reaching out: Minister for Major Industries J. Geetha Reddy, Minister for Rural Development Chinna Reddy and Medak Collector B. Venkatesam at the asset distribution function in Gajwel on Saturday.

Sangareddy: Minister for Rural Development G. Chinna Reddy addressing a meeting of self-help groups at the agricultural marketyard in Gajwel on Sunday announced that the Government would hike the budget for ‘Pavala Vaddi’ to Rs. 10,000 crore in the current budget.

This year alone the Government has spent Rs. 7,000 crore on this financial inclusion scheme. He said that the Pavala Vaddi scheme has actually helped to improve the financial position of the poor in the State. In a matter of three years, the allocation for the scheme was hiked from Rs. 1,100 to Rs. 3,400 crore. He announced that the Congress government, if voted to power again, would provide loans worth Rs. 1 lakh crore in five years under the scheme to eliminate poverty by 2014.

Referring to the NREGP programme, Mr. Chinna Reddy said that only one per cent of works were found to be defective under the social audit and assured recovery of Rs. 78 lakh found to be misused. He, along with Minister for Major Industries J. Geetha Reddy distributed assets worth Rs. 5.69 crore to 465 SHGs. District Collector B.Venkatesam was also present. Later addressing a press conference here, Mr. Chinna Reddy said that the issue of separate statehood for Telangana is linked with similar demands elsewhere in the country. He said that UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was aware of the sentiments of the people of the region and its wrong to blame the Chief Minister for the delay. He said that the same Congress which has supported the formation of three news States during the tenure of BJP and NDA at the centre has no different view on smaller states.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Siddipet on Sunday, local legislator T. Harish Rao refused the offer by Minister for Roads and Buildings Jeevan Reddy for a combined fight in the Greater Hyderabad elections. He invited the Minister to join the fight for Telangana along with TRS, as the situation was ripe for formation of a separate State. Describing the attack on Narsapuram MP Chegondi Harirama Jogaiah as heinous, Harish said that attacks show that the Congress is frustrated and is trying to harm all those who oppose rampant corruption in the party. He said that the attack has telltale signs of Kadapa factionalism.

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