New Delhi, September 11: Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday demanded that a national code be designed to control the media content that could potentially trigger communal clashes.
“A concerted effort must be made to involve media barons, particularly those with television channels, in building a national code that requires observance of self-discipline of the highest order while telecasting events and statements having potential to trigger communal clashes,” the Chief Minister said while addressing the 15th meeting of the National Integration Council at New Delhi. He reiterated that the Andhra Pradesh Government was committed to ensure peace and tranquillity and keep the State free from all kinds of disturbances.
Outlining the various developmental activities taken up by the Government, the Chief Minister said that a number of measures have been initiated to ensure communal harmony including the development of the Old city area of Hyderabad with an outlay of Rs 2,000 crores. Steps have been taken to introduce computers and English education in Madarsas. Measures to preserve Arabic archives, and support for construction of a new Haj building near Shamshabad airport were also taken up. The Government has provided 4 per cent reservation in educational institutions and jobs for the economically backward Muslims and this benefit has recently been extended for 10 more years.
Kiran Kumar Reddy said that the most significant and unique program was that of scholarships, which is being implemented on a saturation basis so as to ensure that poverty does not become a barrier for accessing education for any diligent student. During the current year 26.5 lakh students belonging to SC, ST, BC, EBC, Minority and Disabled are benefitting from Scholarships and Fee Reimbursement with an annual expenditure of Rs.3,500 crores, he said.
Referring to the initiatives taken up by the government with regard to the youth in the state , the Chief Minister said that the government has embarked upon a programme called Rajiv Yuva Kiranaalu to impart necessary soft skills and technical capabilities to the educated unemployed so that they could be directly employed by trade and industry at the instance of the government. The scientific assessment made by Confederation of Indian Industry indicates that not less than 28 lakh jobs would arise in various trades in our State by 2014. Besides this, one lakh vacancies are to be filled in government departments. Considering the way the program has been designed for implementation in every district, it would facilitate employment of 15 lakh youths in the next three years.
Keeping in view the fact that around 70 per cent of our population depend upon agriculture, the Chief Minister said that the government has taken several measures to make cultivation lucrative. These measures include crop loans on 3% interest to farmers wherever loans are repaid in time, rise in crop loans from Rs.7000 crore in 2004 to Rs.48,000 crore this year, substantial enhancement of subsidy on fertilizers and seed i.e to Rs.10,000 crore and Rs.400 crore respectively, waiver of interest on loans to farmers affected by untimely rains, procurement of even de-colored paddy, and so on. The government is providing free power to 28 lakh agricultural connections at a cost of Rs.5000 crores annually.
The government has also embarked on a massive programme of irrigation development Jalayagnam to create an additional irrigation potential of 1 crore acres. These initiatives collectively helped increase agricultural production by 33 percent. An all time record of 24 lakh tons of paddy spending Rs.2100 crore through various agencies, including self-help groups of rural women. Rise in paddy-procurement price by 88 per cent i.e from Rs.590 to Rs.1110 per quintal in the last seven years has also helped win the confidence of farmers.
The Chief Minister however, said that that remunerative prices to the farmers is still a major issue. Prices for the agricultural commodities should be in tune with the rising cost of cultivation, to ensure that the farming community is content, he said and added that a new scheme, ‘Saagu Raithu Rakshana Hastam’ through an ordinance to facilitate crop loans, Insurance and other subsidies on seed, fertilizers etc. has been brought by the government.
Kiran Kumar Reddy informed that the State Government has taken up a new program called, ‘Indira Jalaprabha’, to bring 10 lakh acres of dry land under cultivation by providing Micro Irrigation facility by spending around Rs.1600 crore. Under ‘Indira Jalaprabha’, around five lakh SC and ST households will be brought above poverty line in the next two years.
The Chief Minister also listed out various schemes that his government has taken up for the welfare of SC, ST, minorities, youth and women.
——Agencies