Study Abroad: AP CM Moots Education Loans At 4% Interest

There should be no ceiling on the number of students who can avail this benefit, the CM told officials at a review meeting he held at the Secretariat here on Monday. The review focused on the welfare of students from SC, ST, BC, EBC, minority and special-needs segments.

Ministers including Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, NMD Farooq and S. Savitha, were present along with senior officials.

The CM said the state government would provide guarantee to the education loans banks give to students. The loan repayment period must be fixed at 14 years.

He called for the setting up of coaching centres at two places in AP for BC students to enable them to get admission for IIT and medicine through Neet. As for welfare hostels, Naidu proposed developing all such entities as residential schools. He sought a comprehensive report on this.

The Chief Minister said officials must ensure that every poor student gets 'quality' education. “This would be possible when the hostels are upgraded as residential schools. He underscored the need to improve basic amenities in the hotels meant for SC, ST and the BC students by taking up repair works.

He felt the need to provide top priority for hygiene in the Gurukulas and proper healthcare to the students there.

The CM granted the permission for upgradation of the BC girls’ school at Nasanakota in Atmakur as a junior college. This would involve an expenditure of `2.65 crore. He promised to also provide funds for school and toilet maintenance from the Thalliki Vandanam scheme.

Naidu directed the officials to ensure that all residential schools and hostels start generation of solar power so that it would help these bring down the financial burden from power bills.

Officials informed the CM that the previous government had left behind college fee-reimbursement dues worth ₹1,700 crore to the students from SC and ST categories. This resulted in the students paying ₹900 crore on their own. Nearly ₹800 crore in dues was yet to be paid.

The Chief Minister said officials must ensure that the welfare departments take up the responsibility to implement the ‘One Family-One Entrepreneur’ programme. This, he said, would help strengthen the poor to become financially sustainable.

He said officials must release the arrears of honorarium being paid to pastors and imams. Officials should also consider the possibility of extending the time for submission of applications for Haj pilgrimage.

As for Adarana-3, Naidu asked officials to see that the tools being given to the beneficiaries should be useful to them. “Find out the feasibility to give domestic gas-based iron boxes and gas refills on subsidy basis to the Rajakas,” he said, and felt the need to explore new ways to help the people from backward classes to earn money.

The CM also said there should be no legal tangles in the implementation of 34 per cent reservation to the backward classes in the local body polls. He also called for the holding of workshops to study the adoption of the best practices in all the 64 caste corporations.

Naidu also laid stress on helping fishermen use seaweed by way of an alternate source of income for them.