Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday inaugurated the 'Village Secretariat system' here and asserted that the state government aims to strengthen the village ecosystem.
The Chief Minister also congratulated the candidates who cleared Village Secretary exams saying, "They should shoulder the responsibility to take governance to the doorsteps of the people."
He urged them to show compassion and work for the welfare of people.
"The launch date of the Village Secretariat system is coinciding with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi so it becomes more relevant, as one of Gandhi Ji's dreams was to empower the villages; he believed that the country will flourish if villages flourish. We are here to strengthen the village ecosystem through our welfare schemes of Navaratnas as I had seen the plight of people during the 3,648 km padayatra where I was told about the rampant corruption and discrimination at all levels and how difficult it was to get a ration card, pension or any of the welfare utilities," said Reddy.
"Thus the Village and Ward Secretariat system have emerged employing over 4.5 lakh people and perhaps this is the first time in the country's history for any government to provide employment at such big scale, within four months of coming into power," he added.
Reddy further underlined that the Secretariats will provide 500 kind of services and will work as a liaison between the government and people.
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"For a population of around 2,000 people, there will be at least 10-12 people to monitor their needs. Village Volunteer will look after 50 houses and Ward Volunteer will take care of 100 houses. In East Godavari district alone, the total jobs provided are 44,198 and by January everything will fall in place and all the secretariats will be made fully functional," he said.
"The illiteracy rate in the state is pegged at 33 per cent and in five years from now the figure should be reduced to zero as Amma Vodi program has been designed to check the school-dropout rate and also to boost admissions in the State-run schools. This will be the game-changer," he added.
The chief minister further said that to aid farmers, 'YSR Rythu Bharosa scheme' will be implemented from October 15 under which Rs 15,000 per annum will be given to families of farmers in the state.
Similarly, to felicitate auto-rickshaw and cab owners the chief minister said his government will implement 'YSR Vahan Mitra' scheme under which Rs 10,000 per annum will be provided as financial assistance.
Meanwhile, on the occasion, many people who were benefitted by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's welfare schemes thanked Reddy for the same.
Vijaya Durga, who hails from Ambajeepeta Mandal said "My father is an auto-driver and I got a chance to pursue my education only because of the fees reimbursement scheme of YSR. I had given the Village Secretary exam and got qualified for the Village Surveyor job. Thank you to the Chief Minister for initiating a mass recruitment drive."
Deputy Chief Minister Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose, Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, Viswaroop, K Kanna Babu, MP Vanga Geetha and others were also present at the event.