Tribal Children Are Hidden Gems: CM Naidu

Rampachodavaram: Describing tribal children as hidden gems, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said they could achieve extraordinary success when provided with right opportunities. He emphasised that education is the greatest asset parents can give their children and credited education for the global success of Telugu people.He urged both mothers and fathers to take equal responsibility for their children's education.

Participating in fourth Parent-Teacher Meeting at Govt upper primary school along with Minister for Education Nara Lokesh here today, the Chief Minister said Teachers and parents together should shape the future of students. He advised teachers to upgrade their teaching methods to suit changing technological advancements . He also stated that the government was giving due respect to teachers and ensuring transparent transfers through counselling.

Chandrababu Naidu reaffirmed that providing quality education in government schools is one of the State Government's highest priority. He noted that while students had earlier shifted from government schools to private institutions, the trend had now reversed, with 1.10 lakh students enrolling in government schools from private schools, reflecting the growing confidence of parents in public education. He said students' academic performance directly reflected the effectiveness of the Education department and commended Education Minister Nara Lokesh for handling the portfolio with dedication.

The Chief Minister said that despite severe financial challenges, the government was fulfilling the promises made to the people. He interacted with parents during the meeting to confirm that funds under the Talliki Vandanam scheme had been credited to mothers' bank accounts.He highlighted several welfare initiatives, including NTR Bharosa pensions, free bus travel for women, Deepam 2.0 free LPG cylinders, and solar power programmes. He also announced that the Sanjeevani Health Project would be launched from August to strengthen public healthcare.

Referring to the State's financial situation, he said the previous government had accumulated nearly Rs 10 lakh crore in debt, including borrowings at interest rates as high as 14 percent. He said the present government was following a planned strategy to gradually repay these loans, reduce interest costs, stabilize the economy and simultaneously continue welfare and development programmes.The Chief Minister said IIT coaching was being provided to SC and ST students, residential schools in tribal areas would be expanded and diet charges in hostels and residential institutions had been increased by 10 percent.He highlighted the government's Mega DSC teacher recruitment programme, noting that while no DSC recruitment had been conducted during the previous government's five-year tenure, his governments had conducted 14 DSC recruitments over 16 years. He pointed out that the newly recruited teachers serving in the agency areas stood as proof of the government's commitment.

The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and the coalition government were collectively working for Andhra Pradesh's development. He criticized attempts to undermine the Mega DSC recruitment process and said such actions hurt the morale of newly recruited teachers. He warned that strict action would be taken against anyone, including political leaders or officials, acting irresponsibly.He also said the government continuously sought public feedback on the implementation of welfare programmes and remained committed to honouring the trust reposed by the people.

The Chief Minister said the government was taking stringent measures to eliminate ganja cultivation and drug abuse, noting that narcotics were destroying families. In tribal areas, ganja cultivation was being replaced with horticulture crops. He also recalled the successful international branding of Araku Coffee.He assured that quality education would be provided to children while attracting major industries to create employment opportunities within the State.

Encouraging students, he urged them to study with passion rather than pressure, saying that sincere effort over five years could secure rewarding careers in world-class industries.The Chief Minister reiterated the government's commitment to making Polavaram the number one district in the State. Recalling the issuance of G.O. No. 3 in 2000 to provide employment opportunities for local tribal communities, he noted that the Supreme Court had struck down the order in 2020. He assured tribal communities that the coalition government was actively examining the issue and would continue to stand by them.

During the interaction, several students shared their career aspirations. Congratulating a student named Satvik, who expressed his ambition to become an IAS officer and report to the Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu encouraged him and expressed confidence that his dream would come true.Reiterating his message, "Dare to Dream... Strive to Achieve," the Chief Minister said it was the responsibility of parents and teachers to inspire children and regularly engage with them to understand their aspirations.He said the government's objective was to nurture students from Polavaram into globally competitive professionals.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister released the School Education Department's handbook titled "No Drugs, Bro" and launched the "Donor for School" web portal.Immediately after the portal launch, Mee Seva operator Chittiboyina Uday Kumar donated Rs1 lakh to Rampachodavaram High School, while industrialist Purna Chandra Rao announced a Rs 4 crore contribution for a ZP High School in Nellore district. The Chief Minister congratulated both donors.He also reviewed the performance of various government departments in Polavaram district and appreciated officials who had delivered outstanding results.

Following the Mega Parent-Teacher Meeting, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Minister Nara Lokesh had lunch with the students.The Chief Minister personally enquired about the quality and taste of the midday meal and instructed officials to further improve the nutritional value of the food served in schools.Responding to requests from students, the Chief Minister spent time interacting with them and posed for photographs.