Vijayawada: Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD), IT, and Electronics Nara Lokesh has announced an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the Nadu-Nedu works carried out during the previous YSRC regime.
During the Question Hour in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, TDP MLAs, including Tenali Sravan Kumar, Yeluri Sambasiva Rao, and Dhulipalla Narendra Kumar, raised concerns over widespread corruption in the Nadu-Nedu works and called for a government inquiry.
In response, Minister Lokesh confirmed the initiation of an inquiry, citing reports of sub-standard work and other irregularities in the Nadu-Nedu projects.
Providing a breakdown of the expenditure incurred over the years on Nadu-Nedu, Lokesh stated that Rs 69 crore was spent in the first phase (2019-20) across 15,713 schools. This was followed by Rs 2,679 crore in the second phase (2020-21), and subsequent expenditures of Rs 1,064 crore, Rs 2,635 crore, and Rs 2,077 crore in the years 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 respectively.
Despite substantial investments in school modernization under Nadu-Nedu from 2019 to 2024, Lokesh noted a decline in government school enrollment by 72,117 students. He emphasized the government's commitment to enhancing school infrastructure to provide top-notch facilities and increase enrollment.
Accusing the previous YSRC government of damaging the education sector with their policies, Lokesh highlighted the hardships faced by school teachers during their tenure. He assured that government schools would be brought up to par with private institutions and mentioned the initiation of the Mega DSC notification for teacher recruitment to be completed in time for the next academic year. Plans are also underway to promote sports, arts, and crafts in schools, aiming for a comprehensive overhaul of KG to PG education.
Meanwhile, TDP MLAs alleged that YSRC leaders had engaged in corruption by involving themselves as contractors in the Nadu-Nedu projects. They claimed exorbitant billing for simple tasks like painting schools under the guise of Nadu-Nedu improvements.