CM KCR directs the officials to carry out enumeration of the entire land extent in possession of Dalits in the State

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao declared that the State government was ready to implement an action plan in a phased manner to alleviate socio-economic hardships of Dalits. He suggested for identifying the socio-economic problems of the Dalits, especially in rural and urban contexts separately in order to address them through collective efforts.

“Till date, Dalits have been largely dependent on cultivation for their livelihood. Under the changed circumstances, the youth should explore self- employment opportunities in industrial, technology and other sectors,” he said, while addressing the all-party meeting on Dalit empowerment held at Pragathi Bhavan here on Sunday.

The Chief Minister directed the officials to carry out enumeration of the entire land extent in possession of Dalits in the State and submit a comprehensive report to the government. If needed, he suggested the entire government machinery to work specifically on the enumeration alone for 10-15 days. “As per the records, about 7.79 lakh SC farmers own an estimated 13.58 lakh acres of agricultural land. 

The officials should identify the assigned lands among these and the extent of land in the possession of the SC beneficiaries. They also should identify the lands with and without water among other facilities,” he asserted.

On the occasion, Chandrashekhar Rao directed the officials to prepare separate action plans for undertaking socio-economic development of Dalits. He asked the SC Development Department to deploy and assign works to committee officers who should bring a qualitative change in the thought process of the Dalit youth by instilling self-confidence among them.

He suggested for organising cultural activities through various media to create awareness on seizing opportunities to achieve Dalit empowerment. In a competitive world, he advised the



Dalit youth to hone their skills and seize employment opportunities for which the government will provide necessary support.

The Chief Minister had once again expressed his affection for the sanitation workers, stating that his motto was “Safayanna niku salam anna” (Salute to sanitation workers). He said the State government was increasing their salaries without anyone asking for it. He also responded positively to a plea from all parties for taking steps to implement a structured pay system (similar to Pay Revision Commission) and provide job security for sanitation staff. He assured that the government was paying the value of the lands being acquired from the Dalits for developing public infrastructure and other projects, even if they own assigned lands.

Chief Minister stated that the State government was determined to work towards the Dalit empowerment with perseverance putting efforts equal to developing the irrigation and agriculture sectors in the State. He also assured to look into the issue of implementing quota for the eligible Dalit youth in granting licenses as well as providing investments for businesses and self-employment sectors. 

He also promised to examine the proposals for implementing reservations for Dalits in the private sector. The government will also consider enhancing the income ceiling for the Dalit students to avail the Overseas Education scholarship offered by the government.

SC Development Minister Koppula Eeshwar, Congress Legislative Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, BJP leader Mothkupalli Narsimhulu, CPM State secretary Thammineni Veerabhadram, CPI State secretary Chada Venkata Reddy, MIM MLA Syed Ahmed Pasha Qadri, Telangana State SC and ST Commission chairman Errolla Srinivas, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar along with SC legislators, participated in the meeting.