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It was former Chief Minister of the combined AP, NT Rama Rao, Telugu Desam Party founder, who was the first to implement the ideals of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, one of the founding fathers of the Indian Constitution.
Laying the foundation for the 125-feet-high Ambedkar statue in the Buddhist site of Amaravati on Thursday morning, Chief Minister Chandrabu Naidu said NTR had taken the ideals of Dr Ambedkar as his guiding principles to feed the poor in the State. Rs 2 a kilo rice scheme was the result. It was the first instance in the country to introduce food security for the poor people. The entire credit would go to NTR alone.
The Rs 2 a kilo rice was a novel scheme at that time and helped the poor to make savings on food for their all round development.
As part of the Ambedkar ideal for a roof for the poor, the NTR government had also built pucca houses for the poor, he added.
The 125-ft-high Ambedkar statues are being built by both the Telugu States. In Hyderabad, the statue will come up on NTR Ghat.
