World Bank team hails Jagan Reddy govt''s initiatives

Amaravati, Feb 25 (PTI): Hailing the YSR Congress government's initiatives, particularly in health and education

sectors, a visting World Bank team on Tuesday said the things Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy learned

during his 3,648-km paada yatra (foot march) clearly reflected in his policies.

Led by World Bank regional director (South Asia-Human Development) Lynne Sherburne-Benz, the team of officials held

a meeting with Reddy, state Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney, Principal Secretary Praveen Prakash and other senior officials

at the Secretariat and discussed a host of issues. A release from the Chief Minister's Office quoted the

World Bank team as saying Reddy initiated several reforms based on the issues he learned during his paada yatra, which

culminated early last year. We have learnt about Jagans paada yatra. The impact of

the paada yatra is clearly visible in the Chief Ministers words, thoughts and actions. They clearly reflected the things

at the ground level, the visiting delegation said. The World Bank officials said investment on human

resources would ensure positive results and lead to realistic development.

Your steps in education and health sectors are inspirational. Efforts to improve high-end skills among youth

are the best. Bringing in e-governance through village and ward secretariats is good, it added.

The chief minister elaborated on the various initiatives of his government like developing school and health care

infrastructure, introduction of English medium in all government schools, setting up of skill development centres in

all Lok Sabha constituencies, establishing village clinics and Rythu Bharosa Centres as one-stop-shop for farmers.

He also explained the move to have three capitals for the state with decentralisation of governance as the theme.

The World Bank team, according to the release, promised to extend help to the state in the fields of health, education

and social security.