Hyderabad, Oct 1:
Chief Minister Mr K Rosaiah has reiterated his commitment to ensure that the benefits of all the welfare and developmental programmes initiated by the state government reached the poorest of the poor, as advocated by Mahatma Gandhi.
Paying rich tributes to the Father of the Nation on the occasion of his birthday on October 2, the Chief Minister recalled Gandhiji’s words that while taking up development or welfare programme and initiating any social security schemes, the government should think of the poorest of the poor. “I always remember these invaluable words of Gandhiji. My ultimate objective is to see that the fruits of all developmental and welfare schemes reach the poorest of the poor in the State,” he said.
The Chief Minister said his government would strive to realise Gandhiji’s dream of a welfare State where the people were provided with equal opportunities and where everyone lived with satisfaction. He said his government would effectively implement all the schemes intended for the poor like the Rs 2 a kg rice scheme, free power for farmers, Aarogyasri, 108 and 104 ambulance services.
He asserted that his government would continue all the programmes contemplated and initiated by late Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy by strengthening the delivery mechanism, so that the benefits of the schemes would reach all sections of the people.
The Abhayahastham programme, wherein one crore poor and low-income self-help group women would be given co-contributory pensions, would kick off from November 1, when more than 40 lakh women would be given individual policy bonds for receiving pensions.
The Chief Minister pointed out that the “saturation concept” adopted by Dr.Rajasekhara Reddy to see that no single individual in the state should be left uncovered by the benefits of the welfare and development programmes, had drawn inspiration from the “Sarvodaya” concept propounded by Mahatma Gandhi almost 100 years ago. “In a way, Dr.Reddy has put the Sarvodaya concept into practice. All the welfare schemes are now being implemented under saturation concept and the benefits of welfare schemes are ensured to reach even to the last person,” he said.
He reminded that the United Nations General Assembly, in 2007, decided to observe International Day of Non-Violence every year on October 2, on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhiji’s birth anniversary, thanks to the all-out persuasion from UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. A Satyagraha Conference resolution in New Delhi in January 2007 initiated by Sonia Gandhi called upon the United Nations to adopt this idea.
Mr Rosaiah said he was very much concerned about growing violence against women, whose safety was paramount to the government as per the Gandhian philosophy. An ordinance would soon be promulgated to provide deterrent punishment to perpetrators of violence, including acid attacks against women. It would provide stringent punishment to those playing with the lives of women, he said. “Let us all work on Gandhian lines of peace, progress and equality of opportunity to one and all,” Mr Rosaiah said.