CM KCR announces several more initiatives including reservation for Dalits in government licences required to run certain businesses

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, declaring that empowerment of Dalits through Telangana Dalit Bandhu was only the first step towards eradication of economic and social inequalities in the country, announced several more initiatives including special reservation for Dalits in government licences required to run certain businesses.

Addressing the people of Telangana from the Golconda Fort after hoisting the national flag marking the 75th Independence Day celebrations on Sunday, the Chief Minister, who will launch the path-breaking Dalit Bandhu Scheme at Shalapalli in Huzurabad on Monday, said reservations will be implemented for Dalits in issuing government licences for fertiliser shops, liquor shops and bars, medical shops, hospitals and hostels, besides in contracts for supplying commodities and other material required by the government.

Stating that extending support to the weaker sections was the main responsibility of civilised society and the basic duty of democratic governments, he said true patriotism lay in striving for the upliftment of the downtrodden Dalit community. “Dalit Bandhu is a movement aimed at empowering the downtrodden sections of Dalits and free them from social discrimination. It was designed based on the ideologies of Mahatma Jyothi Rao Phule and Dr BR Ambedkar – to bring new light into the lives of Dalits,” he said.

The Chief Minister also announced that waiver of crop loans upto Rs 50,000 would begin on Monday, and this exercise would benefit over six lakh farmers in the State before August end. He also announced that Nethannaku Bima scheme would be launched soon on the lines of Rythu Bima to provide Rs 5 lakh insurance cover for weavers depending on textile industry in the State.

“The State government is progressing with a combination



of purity in speech, integrity and purpose. The State will create more wonders and scale new heights in future, in its efforts to ensure people’s welfare and State’s development,” he said, adding that the State government was moving ahead with a broad vision of ensuring justice to every community in the State in a planned manner.

Stating that a special comprehensive policy was already in place to monitor the results achieved by beneficiaries under the Telangana Bandhu scheme, Chandrashekhar Rao said a Dalit Protection Fund would also be created with contribution from both beneficiary and the government to support beneficiaries in case of any setbacks in businesses.

Rao said the entire Dalit community was suffering not only from poverty but also from social discrimination for generations together and it was time to put an end to it. He stated that the government had allocated funds for implementing the Dalit Empowerment programme in the State budget this year and the scheme would be implemented in Huzurabad constituency on a pilot basis commencing Monday. While the scheme would cover all Dalit families in Huzurabad constituency, it would be implemented partially in other constituencies of the State simultaneously, he said.

Rao pointed out that since the formation of Telangana State, the State government strove hard for the development of downtrodden sections. The government increased the number of educational institutions to provide the Dalits better access to education. Separate laws were enacted for effective implementation of the SC and ST Sub-Plans by transferring unspent funds of a financial year to the next financial year. The government would continue to provide rice, pensions and other facilities through ration cards, he said.