Vijayawada: In a major relief for lakhs of students and parents across Andhra Pradesh, the state government has announced that financial assistance under the ‘Talliki Vandanam’ scheme will be released on July 22. The school education department has sanctioned Rs. 10,120.78 crore for the implementation of the flagship programme, with department secretary Kona Shashidhar issuing the orders.The scheme, one of the key welfare initiatives of the NDA coalition government, provides Rs. 15,000 annually for every child studying from Classes 1 to 12. Of the total amount, Rs. 13,000 will be directly credited to the bank accounts of students’ mothers, while the remaining Rs. 2,000 will be allocated towards school development and management.According to official estimates, 67.47 lakh students will benefit from the scheme during the current academic year. The government will initially transfer funds to the bank accounts of mothers of 42.70 lakh eligible students on July 22 after completing verification of beneficiary details.The government will also display the list of eligible beneficiaries at Sachivalayams, Gram Panchayat and Ward offices on the same day to ensure transparency in the selection process.For students who have taken fresh admissions into Class 1, Classes 2 to 9, and Intermediate first year, financial assistance will be released after verification of their eligibility. The government has set August 30 as the deadline for completing these payments.In another significant decision, the government has extended the benefits of the scheme to the children of Anganwadi workers and sanitation workers. The move fulfils a promise made by Education Minister Nara Lokesh during his Yuvagalam Padayatra, with the latest government order formally including these categories among eligible beneficiaries.The rollout of the scheme is expected to provide substantial financial support to families while encouraging school enrolment and reducing the burden of educational expenses.
