Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy released Rs 81.64 crore for the fourth tranche of YSR Kalyanamasthu and YSR Shaadi Tohfa. This money will benefit girls who got married during the months of July to September 2023. The amount will be directly credited to the bank accounts of their mothers. So far, a total of Rs 348.84 crore has been given to 46,062 beneficiaries under this scheme.
The Chief Minister said that this scheme aims to help girls from poor SC, ST, BC, minority communities, construction worker families, and disabled individuals to continue their education. The State Government has made it mandatory for girls and their grooms to have completed class X in order to be eligible for this scheme. The marriage age limit for girls is 18 and for boys is 21. Other welfare schemes like Vidya Deevena, Vasathi Deevena, and Amma Vodi also help these girls pursue higher education and reduce child marriages and drop-out rates.
It is good news that out of the 10,511 beneficiaries, 8,042 girls have also received benefits from Amma Vodi, Vasathi Deevena, and Vidya Deevena. This shows that most of them are continuing their education at the college level. The Chief Minister emphasized that education is important in eliminating poverty and transforming society.
During the previous TDP Government, the Kalyanamasthu scheme was not properly implemented and 17,709 girls were left without benefits. However, the present YSRCP Government has introduced and implemented it with good intentions and commitment. The amount given to SC, ST, BC, and minority beneficiaries has been increased compared to the previous government. Similarly, differently-abled people, construction workers, and inter-caste marriage beneficiaries will also receive higher benefits under this scheme.
