GO issued for implementation of Telangana Dalit Bandhu programme
The programme has an outlay of Rs 1000 crore which is over and above the funds earmarked for Scheduled Castes welfare and development under SCSDF.
Hyderabad: The Telangana State government has decided to implement the “Telangana Dalit Bandhu,” a programme aimed at Dalit empowerment, in Huzurabad Assembly constituency in erstwhile Karimnagar on a saturation mode covering all the eligible Scheduled Caste households in the constituency.
A Government Order issued by the Scheduled Castes department said that while the programme will be implemented in all the Assembly constituencies across the State, it was decided to take up implementation of the programme in Huzurabad on a pilot basis aimed at understanding the scaling of the programme in a large manner covering the entire State.
“Scheduled Castes suffer from extreme social, educational, and economic backwardness arising out of the age-old practice of untouchability. Special programmes are need to be designed and implemented for improving their socio-economic status and thereby enhancing their social dignity,” the GO said.
Stating that adequate social security structures have to be incorporated with the programmes in view of their historical vulnerability, the GO said as part of a multi-pronged approach, an innovative programme aimed at eradicating poverty among the Scheduled Caste population of Telangana State, known as “CM Dalit Empowerment Programme,” was announced and included in the 2021-22 budget that was approved and passed by the State Legislature.
The programme has an outlay of Rs 1000 crore which is over and above the funds earmarked for Scheduled Castes welfare and development under SCSDF. To formulate the details of the scheme, an all party meeting was conducted on June 26 by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao in which, elected representatives of all SC Assembly constituencies and Parliamentary constituencies along with leaders of all political parties participated and gave their valuable suggestions, the GO said.
These suggestions along with other inputs obtained by Scheduled Castes Development Department were discussed. The Scheduled Castes Development Department also held detailed deliberations with elected representatives and other leaders of the community. Based on the suggestions received, it was decided that this programme will be taken up across the entire State, in all the 119 Assembly Constituencies, with a unit cost of 10 lakhs per eligible household, totally as a grant, without any bank linkages. Further, after careful examination, it was also decided to name the programme as “Telangana Dalit Bandhu,” the GO said.
