"Bangaru Thalli" To Get Legal Status

In an effort to silence the criticism from his own cabinet colleagues and partymen, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Sunday announced that the "Bangaru Thalli" scheme would be given legal status soon.

The Chief Minister's statement during an interactive session with women's self-help groups in Eluru came as part of a confession that the "Bangaru Thalli" scheme was announced without completing the necessary formalities. Describing the scheme as very "innovative", the CM assured the gathering that legislation would be soon introduced in the Legislative Assembly to give it a legal status, just as the process was followed for the SC-ST Sub-Plan.

Kiran Kumar Reddy said that once introduced with legal protection, it would be compulsory for successive governments to continue the scheme.

He said that the birth of a girl child in a family should be welcomed, and that she should be given proper education and care.

The Chief Minister also assured the women present that steps would be take to remove belt shops in AP. He said that belt shops were not officially permitted, and stated that they would be removed soon. He was reacting to a suggestion made by Union Rural Development minister Jairam Ramesh, who had stressed the need for such a step.

Kiran Kumar Reddy also promised that every house in the state would have a toilet each in the next two years, and that the Centre was aiding the construction of individual toilets.

The CM listed out various schemes being implemented by the government.

Ministers Vatti Vasanta Kumar and Pithani Satyanarayana, MPs K Bapiraju, Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, MLAs Kothapalli Subbarayidu, Ch Prabhakar, K Nageswara Rao, Eli Nani, Bangaru Usha Rani, district Collector Vani Mohan and others participated in the program. (INN)