Why were 20 thousand students expelled from Thalliki Vandanam, asks APCC chief Sharmila

Extend the scheme to all students based on UDISE data and transfer the entire amount without any deductions or restrictive conditions, demands APCC president YS Sharmila. | Photo credit: File Photo

APCC president YS Sharmila on Friday criticized the state government’s implementation of the Thalliki Vandanam scheme, alleging that it reflected the shortcomings of the previous YSRCP government’s Amma Vodi scheme.

“While the ruling alliance promised ₹15,000 per child, the scheme currently covers only about 67 million students despite the government earlier claiming that there are around 83 million students in the state,” she wrote on X, asking why nearly 20 million children were excluded and why deductions were made from the promised amount under the guise of school development.

Ms. Sharmila also accused the government of imposing eligibility restrictions based on factors such as electricity consumption, land ownership and vehicle ownership, criteria she said had earlier been criticized by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu when he was in opposition.

She called on the government to explain the reduced number of beneficiaries, deductions from promised aid and exclusion criteria. She also asked that the scheme be extended to all eligible students, estimated at about ₹87 lakh based on UDISE data, and that the entire ₹15,000 per child be transferred without deductions or restrictive conditions.

Published – 17 Jul 2026 21:03 IST