Thalliki Vandanam: TDP Govt Excludes 30 Lakh Eligible Children

In the run-up to the 2024 elections, TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu announced lofty plans for the welfare of the poor and development of Andhra Pradesh. He launched the ‘Super Six’ manifesto, promising support for women, farmers, and unemployed youth.

As the TDP-led NDA completes one year in power, it appears that Chandrababu Naidu is deceiving the public—either by altering his promises or by burying them altogether.

To mark one year of governance, the ruling alliance is set to launch the Thalliki Vandanam scheme on June 12 (Thursday). Under this scheme, mothers of school-going children are to receive ₹15,000 per child annually. The launch has been long pending. On the surface, it might appear to be a welcome relief for mothers who had been receiving similar aid under the previous YSRCP government—but who suddenly lost that benefit after the TDP came to power.

However, on closer examination, the TDP government’s deception comes into sharper focus. It has come to light that the Chandrababu Naidu government is planning to extend only ₹13,000 per child, not the promised ₹15,000.

Moreover, according to UDISE (Unified District Information System for Education) data, there are 87,41,885 students in the state. Yet, the TDP government plans to extend aid only to the mothers of 67,27,164 children.

Even if we go by the government’s own student count, only ₹8,745 crore has been allocated for the scheme's rollout. This amount will suffice for only about 50 lakh students—leaving over 30 lakh students in the lurch. To extend ₹15,000 to the mothers of 67,27,164 children, a sum of ₹10,090.74 crore is required. If all 87,41,885 students are to benefit, the total expenditure would rise to ₹13,112 crore.

In an apparent attempt to deflect mounting criticism from opposition parties, the TDP government has announced the scheme’s launch and allocated funds for implementation. But the devil lies in the details. How much aid will each mother actually receive? Will each child in a family get ₹15,000? Will the aid be distributed in tranches? If so, in how many? And why are only 67 lakh children receiving aid when the official count exceeds 87 lakh?

Chandrababu Naidu came to power on promises of wealth creation and welfare. One year into governance, however, he appears to have deceived the public—by revoking schemes launched by the previous YSRCP government and failing to deliver on his own commitments.

The TDP had assured ₹15,000 for one child, ₹30,000 for two children, ₹45,000 for three children, and ₹60,000 for four children. This promise was part of Naidu’s pitch to incentivize women to have more children.

In reality, though, the ruling alliance seems to have conveniently forgotten about nearly 30 lakh children who remain eligible—but excluded—from the Thalliki Vandanam scheme.