Amaravati, May 1 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Thursday called the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) the "backbone of state development."

Addressing a gathering during May Day celebrations, Kalyan alleged that the previous government had ruined rural development during its tenure.

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"The MGNREGS is not just a welfare scheme—it is the backbone of rural Andhra Pradesh, sustaining livelihoods and driving grassroots development," said Kalyan.

He said that it is not only engineers and doctors who contribute to nation-building, but also labourers who work under the scorching sun and shed sweat for the country's progress.

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The Janasena Party (JSP) supremo said that Rs 10,669 crore was spent under MGNREGS last year, generating 24.23 crore person-days of work and directly benefiting 75.23 lakh rural workers across the state.

Wages were increased from Rs 150 to Rs 307, with Rs 6,194 crore paid as wages and Rs 4,023 crore allocated for material components. Under the Palle Panduga (Village Festival) initiative, 21,564 cattle sheds were built at Rs 377.37 crore, improving farmers' earnings through livestock-based livelihood support across rural areas.

Kalyan said that 13,500 animal water troughs were constructed, and 63,582 acres of fruit orchards were developed, boosting sustainable livelihoods among SC, ST, and BC communities in rural regions.

As many as 4,000 km of cement roads were built in backward colonies, and the government now plans to construct an additional equal length during this financial year, said the Deputy CM.

The state government partnered with SBI to offer insurance coverage of Rs 3 lakh to Rs 30 lakh for MGNREGS functionaries through a special MoU, Kalyan said.

He added that proposals worth Rs 87,000 crore were sent under the Jal Jeevan Mission, of which Rs 29,000 crore has already been approved by the Centre.

It is a central plan aimed at providing drinking water through taps to households in rural India.

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