After dodging for one year, the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government headed by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu finally announced implementation of Thalliki Vandanam scheme, a changed version of Amma Vodi scheme implemented by the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
The scheme rolled out with effect from Thursday is no different from Amma Vodi, in that the mothers sending their children to the schools, will get financial assistance of Rs 15,000 per year.
The only improvement in the Thalliki Vandanam scheme is that the financial assistance will be paid to mothers for each child, irrespective of the number of children. In Amma Vodi, the Jagan government restricted the scheme to only one child per mother.
The scheme will be applied for all children being sent to schools from Classes I to XII (including Intermediate Education) in all recognized government, private aided and private unaided schools and junior colleges including residential schools and junior colleges in the state.
As was the case with Amma Vodi scheme, the Thalliki Vandanam too is a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme, under which funds are directly credited into the accounts of mothers or recognized guardians.
Before the elections, Naidu promised that the entire amount of Rs 15,000 would be paid to the beneficiaries.
But the GO released on Thursday said an amount of Rs 2,000 per each student shall be deducted at source from the beneficiary and utilized for schools and colleges maintenance, hygiene, sanitation and such other items.
The GO also imposed stringent restrictions for the implementation of the scheme.
The scheme is applicable to the families whose total household income should not exceed Rs.10,000 per month in rural areas and Rs 12,000 per month in urban areas.
Secondly, at least one person in the household should possess a rice card. The total land holding of the household should be less than 3 acres of wet land or less than 10 acres of dry land or less than 10 acres of both combined together.
If anyone among the household members if owning a 4-wheeler (Taxi, Tractors, Autos are exempted) is not eligible. The monthly electricity utilization (own or rented house) be less than 300 units/month for the household.
The household should not own any Municipal property which is 1000 sq. Ft and above.
Any one among the household members employed in any Central/State Government service/PSU or getting Govt. pension (post-retirement) are not eligible (Sanitation workers are exempted and all employees getting less than Rs 10,000/- salary per month in Rural and less than Rs 12,000/- per month in urban areas are exempted).
Similarly, in case, any member in a household is paying Income Tax, the household is not eligible. The beneficiary should have been included in the household database in Andhra Pradesh.
“The student with 75% attendance in this Academic year, will be eligible for extending financial assistance for the subsequent year. If a child discontinues studies or doesn’t meet 75% attendance during the academic year, will not be eligible for benefits for the subsequent year,” the GO said.
