Heated exchanges over Aadabidda Nidhi scheme in AP legislative council

Amaravati: After several adjournments over the Tirumala Laddu controversy, Question Hour in the state legislative council resumed smoothly on Wednesday under Chairman Koyye Moshenu Raju, with members raising key public welfare issues.A major focus was the expansion of dialysis facilities across the state. Health minister Satyakumar Yadav informed the House that Andhra Pradesh currently has 2,721 dialysis machines — 985 in govt hospitals and 1,736 in network hospitals — catering to 21,504 kidney patients. Special attention is being given to chronic kidney disease cases in the Uddanam region.He said 14 new dialysis centres were sanctioned in the past 20 months, with monthly dialysis sessions rising from 40,000 to 66,000. The gov is also providing ₹10,000 monthly pensions to 675 patients and considering assistance for transplant cases. Over the past 20 months, ₹224 crore was spent on kidney care, averaging ₹86,000 per patient.The House also witnessed heated exchanges over the proposed ‘Aadabidda Nidhi' scheme, promised during elections as financial support for women. YSRCP MLCs pressed for a timeline, while MSME Minister Kondapalli Srinivas said the scheme is under active consideration, highlighting that pensions were raised from ₹3,000 to ₹4,000, with ₹33,000 crore spent annually on welfare pensions.Unsatisfied, opposition members staged a protest demanding clarity. Amid counter-arguments from treasury benches, chairman Moshenu Raju intervened to restore order and conclude the discussion.