Jyotirao Phule Memorial Park to Be Established in Amaravati; CM to Lay Foundation Stone
Savitha announced that the foundation stone will be laid on April 11 by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, coinciding with the 200th birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule.
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government will establish a Jyotirao Phule Memorial Park in Amaravati, reaffirming its commitment to the welfare and empowerment of Backward Classes (BCs), state BC welfare, EWS welfare, handlooms and textiles minister S. Savitha said on Saturday.
She announced that the foundation stone will be laid on April 11 by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, coinciding with the 200th birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. The bicentenary celebrations will be organised on a grand scale.
Addressing representatives of various BC associations at the BC Bhavan in Gollapudi, Minister Savitha said the coalition government’s goal was the holistic development of BCs and ensuring they lead lives of dignity and self-respect. She emphasised that welfare schemes and legal safeguards were being implemented to strengthen their social and economic status.
The minister announced that BC Bhavans will be constructed in all 28 district headquarters, with district collectors already instructed to allot suitable land. New BC Study Circles will be set up in districts where they do not exist. In Amaravati, a five-acre state-level BC Study Circle, to be named after Jyotirao Phule, will also be established.
Reviewing initiatives undertaken during the 19 months of coalition rule, the minister said BC students had benefited significantly from the Thalliki Vandanam scheme. BC hostels are being upgraded with RO water plants, CCTV cameras, and computer laboratories. To improve employment prospects, free coaching for civil services and mega DSC aspirants is being provided, with the second batch currently undergoing training.
Savitha also revealed that the government was giving final shape to a BC Protection Act to safeguard the rights and self-respect of BC communities. Responding to concerns raised by association leaders, she said the government would soon constitute a Dedication Committee for caste enumeration and address issues faced by Denotified Tribes (DNTs).