Fact Check: Eenadu Report On Amma Vodi Scheme Misleading

AMARAVATI: The Andhra Pradesh Government on Tuesday has stated that an article published under the title ‘Amma Vodi Nunche Feejulu’  in the Eenadu Telugu vernacular newspaper on 27.02.2023 was misleading and incorrect. The government through its Fact Check Twitter account clarified point by point and denied the allegations made by Eenadu in its news report over the fees paid to students and the admissions made under th Right to Education Act. 

Point 1: Government should pay the fees of educational institutions. The Right to Education Act is being implemented in other states.

The state government is directly depositing Rs.15,000 (inclusive of school fees) into the bank accounts of mothers under the Amma Vodi scheme from the academic year 2019-2020 for the educational expenses of students from class 1 to class 12. There was no such scheme in the past and there is no such scheme in any other state in the country.

For the past three years, the state government has been depositing these Amma Vodi funds directly into the accounts of the mothers of the students for the educational expenses of the poor students.

In 2019-20, Rs.6,349.60 crore was paid to 42,33,098 mothers, Rs.6,673.40 crore to 44,48,865 mothers in 2020-21, and Rs.6,393.60 crore to 42,62,419 mothers in 2021-22.

Point 2: Admissions were made last year under the Right to Education Act under the assumption that the government will pay the fees regardless of Amma Vodi.

The allegation by Eenadu is incorrect Last year, in the implementation of admissions under the Right to Education Act, the government had never made any such announcement that they would pay the fees regardless of Amma Vodi. And the parents were nowhere given a guarantee by the government.

3rd Allegation: The parents would be burdened by the latest orders.

This allegation was completely untrue and baseless. The government was directly depositing Rs.15,000 in the bank account of mothers under the Amm Vodi scheme from the academic year 2019-2020. Earlier such a scheme was not available in this state and neither in any other state in the country.

Fees, as determined under the Right to Education Act, are paid by Amma Vodi and the balance amount is paid to the parents for other educational expenses. Previously there was no control over fees in private schools and the Right to Education Act was not implemented either. In such circumstances, the state government has made it clear in the fact check that this was not a burden for the parents.

"విద్యా హక్కు చట్టం కింద ప్రవేశాలకు అమ్మ ఒడి నుంచే ఫీజులు" అని ఈనాడు దినపత్రికలో ప్రచురితమైన వార్త ప్రజలను తప్పుదోవ పట్టించేదిగా ఉంది. దీనికి సంబంధించిన వాస్తవాలు, ఈనాడు దినపత్రికలో వచ్చిన ఆరోపణలు ఇవిగో ... pic.twitter.com/d7bvgnXJJw

— FactCheck.AP.Gov.in (@FactCheckAPGov) February 28, 2023

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