₹50K or cow for girl; calf for boy: Vizianagaram MP Appala Naidu announces reward for parents having third child

Vizianagaram: TDP MP from Vizianagaram, K Appala Naidu, has announced that parents with a third child in his constituency will receive a fixed deposit of ₹50,000 for a girl or a cow and a calf for a boy.

The announcement follows statements by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on steps to encourage population growth.

He stated that the money would be deposited in favor of the child as a fixed deposit. Appala Naidu announced at a meeting organized on March 8 on the occasion of International Women’s Day at the Rajiv Sports compound in Vizianagaram.

It may be recalled that in March, Naidu, during his visit to Delhi, expressed concerns over South India's declining birth rate, contrasting it with states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which have a younger demographic.

"I used to advocate family planning. Now, I am changing my views and promoting the population. India has the biggest advantage in the demographic dividend. If we can manage it well, India will be great. The global community is depending on Indians for services," Naidu stated.

Launched several schemes:

On International Women's Day, the Andhra Pradesh state government partnered with various organizations and launched several schemes and programs to promote women’s welfare, empowerment, and safety.

The government has launched initiatives to support 100,000 women entrepreneurs through opportunities in SERP, MEPMA, and the MSME sectors. A brochure has been released for this.

The Chief Minister launched ‘Shakti Teams’ to ensure the safety of women and children. These teams will prevent crimes, provide immediate assistance, and act as a protective shield in public spaces.

Under the ‘By Women, For Women’ program, women entrepreneurs used the WOW Genie app to sell over 1,00,000 DWCRA products, generating Rs. 5.13 crore in record sales. This achievement was recognised with a Guinness World Record, which was presented to the Chief Minister.

Bank loans worth Rs. 645.52 crore were distributed to 7,471 urban poor women. Each woman received loans ranging from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 2 lakh.

Under the Bank Linkage Scheme, Rs. 1,826.43 crore was sanctioned for 1,43,000 rural women, and Rs. 1,000 crore was allocated under the Stree Nidhi scheme. Beneficiaries were provided with cheques.

Through a partnership with Rapido, onboarding fees and monthly charges for women riders will be waived for three months, benefiting them by up to Rs. 30,000. The government has provided 1,000 electric vehicles, including 760 e-bikes and 240 e-autos, for female riders.

An agreement was signed with Nature Araku Coffee to expand Araku Coffee into the global market. The first phase includes setting up 100 Araku Coffee outlets, benefiting rural women.

The long-awaited gratuity scheme for ASHA workers was implemented. ASHA workers who retired or passed away from June 2024 onwards will receive benefits. The government has released Rs. 1.90 crore for this scheme.

Under the PM-Vishwakarma scheme, the government sanctioned loans of up to Rs. 1 lakh each for 1,000 women.