Harish Rao demands Centre to replicate Dalit Bandhu across the nation

Finance and Health Minister T Harish Rao has demanded that the union Government replicate Dalit Bandhu at national level by allocating enough funds in the coming budget.

Speaking to news reporters after a meeting with MPs, MLAs and other elected representatives on selection of Dalit Bandhu beneficiaries in Sangareddy district on Sunday, the Finance Minister said that the union Government has not allocated adequate funds for Dalit welfare since the BJP led government was voted to power in 2014. 

Saying that the TRS government had allocated Rs 35,699 per each Dalit since 2014, Rao said that the BJP government had allocated just Rs 6,269 per head during the same period.

Saying that Telangana government has allocated Rs 24,114 crore in the last seven and half years for Dalits, the Minister said that the Congress government had allocated just Rs 6,198 crore for Dalits in the Telangana area during their 10 years rule before Telangana State was created. 

Elaborating on various efforts they have put in for the betterment of Dalits, Rao said that they have increased residential schools from 134 to 268 besides setting 53 residential colleges since 2014. In contradiction to the work they have done, the Minister said the Centre has been on disinvestment spree in PSUs which is



resulting in the loss of employment for Dalits.

He further said that the Schedule Castes could not get jobs in private sector due to lack of reservations. Rao has demanded the union government to create reservations in private sector to do justice for the backward SCs. Asking the State BJP leaders to pursue the union Government to implement Dalit Bandu across the nation, Rao said the State BJP leaders must appreciate Telangana government efforts since they were doing some good work.

Saying that the State BJP leadership was criticising them alleging that Telangana government was coming up with schemes whenever elections are scheduled, Rao said that the they were implementing the Dalit bandhu across the State though there were no elections scheduled for next two years. He said that the officials, MLAs will select 100 beneficiaries from each Constituency by February 1 in one or two villages. 

He further said that the units will be grounded by the third week of March. Meanwhile, he said that the Chief Minister has plans to allocate huge amounts for Dalit Bandhu in next budget. MP BB Patil, MLAs M Bhupal Reddy, Chanti Kranthi Kiran, K Manik Rao, DCCB Chairman Chitti Devendar Reddy, DCMS Chairman Malkapuram Shiva Kumar and Former MLA Chinta Prabhakar were present.