Chandrababu Naidu's poverty panacea

India Today

22-04-2025

(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated April 28, 2025)Ugadi, the Telugu New Year, is regarded as an auspicious time for new beginnings. And that's the day Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu chose to unveil an ambitious plan—part of his Swarna Andhra 2047 vision—which he claims could redefine poverty alleviation. The Zero Poverty-P4 initiative, launched on March 30, is a bold experiment in inclusive growth, enlisting the wealthiest 10 per cent of the population to support the bottom 20 per cent. The goal is sweeping: a poverty-free Andhra Pradesh by 2029.advertisementAt the heart of P4—short for Public-Private-People Partnership—is a structured mentorship programme. Affluent individuals, called 'Margadarsis' (mentors), will be encouraged to 'adopt' underprivileged families, designated as 'Bangaru Kutumbams' (golden families). These partnerships, facilitated by the government, go beyond financial aid. Margadarsis—expected to be from among the high-net worth individuals at home and the Telugu diaspora—can offer career guidance, help with financial decision-making, provide access to professional networks or even chip in with tuition fees or working capital. Those with limited time can help by contributing funds for education, healthcare or infrastructure for beneficiaries at the individual, family or village level. 'So far, charitable efforts have been individual [driven], while the government has introduced Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). But this initiative is unique as it provides an institutionalised platform for direct interaction between Margadarsis and Bangaru Kutumbams,' says Naidu.advertisement
The first phase has already begun. Two Bangaru Kutumbams were introduced to three prominent Margadarsis—Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL) managing director P.V. Krishna Reddy, Greenko CEO Anil Kumar Chalamalasetty and entrepreneur Sajjan Kumar Goenka. The families spoke about their struggles, particularly their inability to fund their children's education. Reacting to this, Krishna Reddy revealed that he had already surveyed a mandal in Krishna district and was prepared to adopt it in its entirety.
This is just the start. The government has identified two million of the state's most deprived families for inclusion in the programme, with more to be added later. The immediate goal is to facilitate the 'adoption' of 500,000 of them by August 15. While the government will structure the initiative and ensure transparency through digital dashboards, it has kept itself out of financial transactions. Margadarsis are free to choose the families they wish to support, and once both parties are comfortable, government personnel will facilitate their interaction.
The initiative is being positioned as a transformative model, one that could redefine poverty alleviation in India. To ensure long-term impact, the state is also working on improving the delivery of basic amenities—providing house sites, sanitation, LPG connections, reliable power, high-speed internet, and even incentives for entrepreneurship. A 'P4 Society' with Naidu as its chairperson and deputy CM Pawan Kalyan as vice-chairperson is being established to oversee statewide implementation, with chapters at the district, assembly constituency and village secretariat levels. These will comprise industry leaders, philanthropists, CSR heads and civil society organisations as well. Naidu has high expectations. 'So far, no plan of mine has failed,' he asserts. 'By next Ugadi, we will assess progress and, by 2029, Margadarsis should uplift all Bangaru Kutumbams out of poverty through a structured and scalable model.'But the initiative has also sparked debate. While Naidu presents P4 as a 'game-changer', critics see it as an abdication of state responsibility. The opposition Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) has dismissed it as an extension of Naidu's pro-privatisation stance. 'Naidu's P4 initiative is aimed at avoiding responsibility and masking his inability to fulfil the 'super six' poll promises,' says YSRCP leader A. Rambabu. 'The man who claimed to create wealth now entrusts poverty alleviation to the wealthy, exposing his manipulative politics.'advertisementOthers see merit in the approach but caution against its challenges. 'Naidu has set high expectations as a visionary. But achieving zero poverty is easier said than done,' says B.V. Muralidhar, a political scientist at Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati. 'It's not easy to achieve, considering the diverse stand of political parties.' The scale and ambition of P4 are unprecedented, but whether it thrives or flounders will depend on sustained engagement from the private sector and civil society. If successful, it could establish Telugu people as 'global role models in philanthropy', in Naidu's words. If not, it risks becoming another well-intended but impractical policy, lost in the complexities of political and economic realities.Subscribe to India Today MagazineMust Watch