Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy released Rs 38.18 crore towards YSR Kalyanamasthu and YSR Shaadi Tohfa to benefit 4536 eligible girls who got married during the quarter October-December 2022. The amount would be directly credited into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries belonging to SC, ST, BC, Minorities, the disabled and construction workers.

Depositing the amount at the click of a button virtually on Friday, the Chief Minister said that the scheme was launched aiming at encouraging education of children, curbing child marriages and increasing enrolment ratio in schools and decreasing dropout rates.

The government strongly believes that education is the greatest asset that we can give to our children, he reiterated, adding the eligibility condition that the brides and bridegrooms must have passed tenth class to benefit from the scheme was imposed to encourage children among the weaker sections to pursue education.

From next quarter, the amount would be credited into the bank accounts of the mothers of the eligible girls, he said, observing it would encourage mothers to send their daughters to schools.

He said that while the beneficiaries were left high and dry during the TDP regime which had withdrawn the financial assistance scheme from 2018 after failing to pay Rs 68.68crore to 17,709 beneficiaries, the YSRCP Government is implementing the YSR Kalyanamasthu and YSR Shaadi Tohfa in full transparency with enhanced incentives.

The Chief Minister, who has virtually interacted with some of the beneficiaries, said the YSR Kalyanamasthu and YSR Shaadi Tohfa, coupled with Amma Vodi, Nadu-Nedu, Vidya Deevena, Vasathi Deevena, Jagananna Gorumuddha, would usher in a revolution in the education sector in the State drastically reducing the dropout rate in schools and increasing the enrolment.