Chief Minister Sri K. Chandrashekar Rao has finalised the name, as ‘Telangana Dalita Bandhu’ for the scheme to be launched soon for Dalit empowerment. The meeting has decided that the Telangana Dalita Bandhu scheme would be implemented in an Assembly segment selected on a pilot basis. As part of this, the meeting has selected Huzurabad Assembly Constituency to implement the ‘Telangana Daltha Bandhu’ scheme, under the pilot project.
The CM in the past launched several programmes in the combined Karimnagar district. From the Simha Garjana Sabha, which was a preamble for the separate Telangana statehood movement, to the Rythu Beema scheme, which was dear to his heart, CM Sri KCR launched these schemes from Karimnagar district. Similarly, the prestigious Rythu Bandhu Scheme was also launched from Huzurabad Constituency as the centre. while continuing the same tradition and sentiment, the meeting suggested launching Dalita Bandhu Scheme from Huzurabad. The CM will decide about the date when the Scheme would be launched very soon. at first, the enumeration about the status and situation of Dalit families in the Huzurabad Constituency will be undertaken. Later based on the guidelines, modalities of the scheme beneficiaries will be selected. Of this, under Huzurabad Constituency, in Huzurabad Mandal 5323 Dalit families, Kamalapur Mandal, 4346 families, Veenavanka Mandal 3678, Jammikunta Mandal 4996 Dalit families, Illanthakunta Mandal 2586 families, in all 20, 929 families under Huzurabad Assembly segment would be scrutinized for selection of the beneficiaries. For the eligible Dalit families according to the guidelines Dalita Bandhu Scheme would be implemented under saturation mode.
The CM said all over the state the Dalita Bandhu Scheme will be implemented as decided earlier with Rs 1200 Crore. But in the Huzurabad Constituency, which was selected to implement the pilot project, the entire Assembly segment will have Dalita Bandhu Scheme being implemented as per the guidelines., for the eligible families. For this, the CM said additional Rs 1500 to 2000 Crore would be expended in the Constituency. Details regarding this would be released soon, CM said.
“Based on the experiences at the ground level in the Pilot Assembly segment, it will be easy for the officials to review and implement Dalita Bandhu Scheme all over the State. In the pilot project implementation along with the Collectors, selected officers would take part. A workshop would be conducted for them shortly” the CM said.
The CM said Telangana Dalit Bandhu Scheme would have three issues. The first one is monitoring the implementation of the scheme, the second is to evaluate the results, the third one is to create a safety fund for the beneficiaries with the government’s participation and the beneficiaries, the CM suggested to the officials.
“Along with Rs 10 Lakh cash given under the Telangana Dalita Scheme, beneficiary along with the government’s participation will create safety fund. In case, anything happens suddenly to the beneficiary help is given from the fund.
“The Dalit family who have attained a higher level through Dalita Bandhu scheme, in case they faced any emergency, the Safety Fund helps them not to fall from the situation. It provides a safety shield. The aim of the Dalita Bandhu scheme is to take Dalit families from their present situation to higher levels. CM said to implement the Dalits Bandhu Scheme effectively at the ground level; there is a need to have official machinery, which works putting its heart and soul with commitment and dedication. The officials should not act like officials but as facilitators, coordinators. The CM has instructed the senior officials to identify such committed and dedicated officers.
The CM made it clear that based on caste, gender, and economic status and by other names if talented persons are discriminated and kept away from the production, it will be a loss to individual, family, socially but also a great loss to the country. He said making efforts to empower Dalits is nothing but making a talented community, which was subjected to discrimination, and making it as a partner in production.
On Sunday, under the Chairmanship of CM Sri KCR, a high-level meeting took place on the Implementation of Dalit empowerment, selection of the pilot project, and the duties of the official’s machinery. In this meeting, Government Chief Whip and MLA Sri Balka Suman, MLA Sri Beeram Harshavardhan Reddy, MLA Sri Koppula Maheswar Reddy, Government’s Chief Advisor Sri Rajiv Sharma, Chief Secretary Sri Somesh Kumar, DGP Sri M Mahender Reddy, CM Principal Secretary Sri S Narsing Rao, Secretaries Ms. Smita Sabharwal, Sri Bhoopal Reddy, Sri Rajashekhar Reddy, Principal Secretary (Finance) Sri Ramakrishna Rao, SC Welfare Department Principal Secretary Sri Rahul Bojja, SC Welfare department Director Sri Karunakar and other higher officials attended.
Speaking on the occasion, the CM said, “ There is a need to implement Telangana Dalita Bandhu scheme effectively at the field level. The official machinery, which will implement the scheme, should be selected based on how they understand the idea and implement it but not in a routine manner. The officers selected should implement it putting their heart and soul into it. No government can implement the scheme without complete data and statistics. Based on the Comprehensive Family survey details, go ahead with the implementation of the Dalita Bandhu scheme.”
The CM said,” the way how we involve ourselves while eating a delicious meal and how we focus when we do a job of our interest, officers should also implement the Scheme with the same love, commitment and dedication.
“Dalits have lost faith in their development due to the faulty policies implemented by the past rulers. Their mistrust should be removed. There is a responsibility on us to make the Dalits believe that the government is thinking about them and their development. We have to repose faith in them. There is a need to give proper guidance and implement and monitor the Dalita Bandhu scheme,” the CM said.
The CM also made it clear that the government would not tolerant if any laxity is shown while implementing the scheme. He said there is economic discrimination among other castes in the country, but Dalits have additional sociological discrimination for decades. He said the government is committed to remove economic and sociological discrimination of Dalits and make them develop in all the sectors. Like the Rythu Bandhu scheme for farmers, Dalita Bandhu Scheme would empower the Dalits. He recalled that the recent Dalit public representatives meeting suggested that financial assistance should be directly given to the Dalit families so that they can select their work and develop. The CM reiterated that like the Rythu Bandhu Scheme, beneficiaries of the Dalita Bandhu Scheme would get the assistance directly into their bank accounts. The CM instructed that the Dalit family’s profiles should be prepared and make their lives better. He said the problems of Dalits will not be uniform and they differ from rural, semi urban to Ural areas. The classification should be done on these categories and the Dalita Bandhu Scheme should be implemented.
“In the Indian Society, individual character is great. But due to several discrimination practices, combined unity is not up to the mark. This is regrettable. This is the reason why the Telangana government came out with the Dalita Bandhu scheme and will keep the required funds for it,” the CM said.