Chandrababu Naidu announces Rs 25 crore to conduct yoga programmes in Andhra Pradesh

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday announced that the state government will provide Rs 25 crores for conduction of regular yoga programmes in the state by the AYUSH department.

"The government will allocate Rs 25 crore for the AYUSH department to organise yoga classes in the state," Naidu said while participating in the state-level International Yoga Day celebrations at a convention hall here.

He compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his namesake Swami Vivekananda (born Narendra Nath Datta), by showing a way for the international community by focusing on India's spiritual philosophy. Naidu lauded the role of Modi in giving an international status to yoga.

On the occasion, he said yoga would improve the happiness, health and ultimately the wealth of the people and investment on yoga may reduce the burden of public expenditure on health.

All over the world, people have accepted yoga as a panacea for all health problems, he said. Now, the international community has recognised the importance of India's traditional systems like yoga and family system to reduce the stress and improve their health, he said.

He asked the students to practice yoga to improve their concentration towards studies and also appealed to employees and businessmen to follow yoga to reduce the everyday stress. A large number of students and NCC cadets attended the programme and practised the yoga on the occasion.