CM KCR announces Rs.1,000 cr Dalit empowerment scheme in Telangana State

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Wednesday announced a Rs 1,000 crore ‘Chief Minister’s Dalit Empowerment Scheme’ to be implemented from the ensuing financial year.

“Allocation will be made for the creation of a special fund of Rs 1,000 crore in the upcoming budget to implement this scheme. Dalits have been ignored for decades and their condition needs to be improved. The SC Sub-plan is already in place for effective utilisation of funds sanctioned, and the State government is working hard to improve their conditions further. 

I will directly monitor the scheme for its effective implementation,” the Chief Minister said, addressing a massive public meeting at Palem in Haliya mandal after laying foundation stones for 13 lift irrigation schemes that would change the landscape of the once-parched erstwhile Nalgonda district.

Chandrashekhar Rao, who also announced a Rs 186 crore monetary aid to strengthen municipalities and local bodies in Nalgonda district, said the State government would soon invite applications for new Aasara pensions and ration cards across the State.

Appreciating the work done by local bodies in Nalgonda district, the Chief Minister announced Rs 20 lakh each for 844 gram panchayats in the district from the Chief Minister’s Special Fund. He also announced Rs 30 lakh each for every mandal headquarters besides Rs 10 crore for the Nalgonda municipality, Rs 5 crore for Miryalaguda municipality and Rs 1 crore each for the remaining six



municipalities in the district for their development.

Chandrashekhar Rao vowed to end the water woes of Nalgonda district forever by pumping water from the Paleru reservoir under the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme in Khammam district to the Devulapally Balancing Reservoir in Nalgonda. He said estimates were prepared to take up the project at Rs 600 crore to pump water from the Godavari river to the Krishna river, which has unreliable water flow for some years. 

“As promised by me during the statehood movement, I laid the foundation stone for 13 lift irrigation schemes which will be completed in the next one and a half years, failing which, I will not to seek votes in the next Assembly elections,” he said.

The Chief Minister also announced the construction of two more LIS at Veerlapalem and Thopucherla following a request by local MLAs for which orders will be issued in a couple of days. He assured that the Basvapuram project would be completed soon and water would be supplied to the Alair and Bhongir Assembly constituencies by June. On completion of the Dindi LIS, irrigation water would be available for the entire erstwhile Nalgonda district, he said.

Chandrashekhar Rao directed Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy to visit Nellikal, Chintalapalem and surrounding areas over the next few days and resolve land issues pertaining to about 5,000 acres in these areas. He instructed the Minister to issue land pattas to all the eligible.