YS Sharmila Questions Exclusion of 20 Lakh Students from AP's Talliki Vandanam Scheme

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Y.S. Sharmila on Friday launched a sharp attack on the coalition government over the implementation of the 'Talliki Vandanam' scheme, alleging that the programme has strayed from the promises made to voters during the Assembly elections.

In a post on X, Sharmila said the scheme's implementation reflected the true state of the coalition's 'Super Six' welfare promises , accusing the government of reducing the number of beneficiaries through conditions and exclusions. She remarked that while the previous YSRCP government had faced criticism over the 'Amma Vodi' scheme, the current administration was now denying benefits to many students under a different name.

The Congress leader alleged that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu , who had earlier questioned the previous government's welfare policies while in the opposition, was now following a similar approach. She claimed that promises made during the election campaign were being diluted after coming to power.

According to Sharmila, the coalition had assured families that ₹15,000 would be provided for every child pursuing education. However, she alleged that several restrictions introduced during implementation had significantly reduced the number of beneficiaries. Questioning the government's figures, she said that while the state had stated there were around 83 lakh students , only about 67 lakh students were being covered under the scheme. She sought an explanation for why nearly 20 lakh students had been left out.

Sharmila also criticised the decision to deduct ₹2,000 from the promised ₹15,000 assistance in the name of school development, describing it as a departure from the commitment made to the public. She further alleged that eligibility conditions linked to 300 units of electricity consumption, ownership of cars and land holdings were being used to exclude families from receiving benefits.

Demanding corrective measures, Sharmila urged the government to provide the full ₹15,000 assistance without deductions and extend the scheme to all eligible students. Referring to UDISE data , she claimed that Andhra Pradesh has around 87 lakh students and said every student should be covered. She also demanded that the government explain the exclusion of nearly 20 lakh students and respond to the concerns raised by the Congress party regarding the scheme's implementation.