During the Andhra Pradesh Budget Session on Wednesday, Handlooms and Textiles Minister S. Savitha responded to questions raised by members in the Legislative Council, outlining the government’s focus on backward class (BC) communities. She stated that between 2014 and 2019, special priority was given to Vadderas, Rajakas, fishermen, and other BC groups under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. She highlighted the launch of the Adarana and Adarana 2.0 schemes during that period and announced that the upcoming Adarana 3.0 will extend focused support to Vadderas, including a proposal for 15% reservation in mining leases and a 50% concession in seigniorage fees, which are currently under review by the Finance Department.
The Minister further detailed welfare measures for fishermen, including increasing financial assistance during the fishing ban period from ₹10,000 to ₹20,000, benefiting around 1.20 lakh families. Additional support includes insurance coverage of up to ₹10 lakh in case of accidental death, a ₹9 per litre diesel subsidy for fishing boats, dedicated residential schools for fishermen’s children, and ₹30 crore allocated for boat repairs. She also noted plans to provide modern washing machines and equipment to Rajakas under Adarana 3.0, and mentioned that the inclusion of certain communities in the SC and ST lists is under examination, with final approval resting with the Central Government.