Naidu Tells Collectors to Treat Family as Unit for Welfare Schemes

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed District Collectors to implement welfare schemes by treating the family as the basic unit, cautioning against a system that pushes households to split in order to claim additional benefits.

Reviewing the implementation of the government's 'Super Six' welfare schemes on the second day of the eighth Collectors' Conference in Amaravati on Friday, Mr. Naidu said the family mapping exercise must be completed before new pensions are issued. Existing beneficiaries will continue to receive their benefits while the exercise is under way.

He said families should not be encouraged to split solely to draw more ration or pension benefits, and that the government's approach was to strengthen larger families by extending greater benefits to them. He suggested that ration benefits be structured so that every member of a family receives five kg of rice, and asked officials to identify gaps in welfare delivery and design better policies with the family as the unit.

The Chief Minister said the government has spent about ₹1.50 lakh crore on welfare programmes so far, including ₹75,000 crore on pensions. Welfare policy, he said, should aim to reduce economic inequalities and raise living standards.

Mr. Naidu asked SERP and MEPMA to expand the 'One Family, One Entrepreneur' programme, stating that steps were being taken to create 5 lakh women entrepreneurs. The P4 programme, he said, should be run as a movement rather than a routine exercise.

Dedicated days for schemes

Collectors were asked to set aside designated days each month for specific public-service programmes. The first of every month is to be devoted to 'Pedala Sevalo' (service to the poor), the ninth to 'Mee Bhoomi–Mee Hakku' for cleaning up land records, the third Saturday to 'Swachh Andhra–Swarnandhra' and the fourth Saturday to the 'Sanjeevani' digital health-record programme.

Mr. Naidu said eliminating anaemia among women and children and building healthier communities should be an important part of the State's Vision 2047. He also asked officials to draw up plans to generate revenue from Wakf properties, complete unfinished Kapu Corporation buildings, and provide quality products and better educational facilities to hostel students.

Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu raised the long-standing demand to include the Yanadi Konda community of Srikakulam district in the Scheduled Tribes list. Mr. Naidu said inclusion in the ST list is a matter for the Centre, and directed officials to extend the benefits available to ST communities to members of the Yanadi Konda community in the meantime, citing the precedent of benefits extended to the Budaga Jangam community.