Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday paid tributes to social reformer and activist Bhagya Reddy Varma, highlighting his significant contributions to the upliftment of the Dalit community on his 135th birth anniversary. The State government is officially organising the birth and death anniversaries of Bhagya Reddy Varma, honouring his ideals and aspirations.
In a statement, the Chief Minister said Bhagya Reddy Varma established schools for Dalit girls in the erstwhile Hyderabad State, laying strong foundations for their education and empowerment. He commended Madari Bhagya Reddy Varma for his dedicated efforts in promoting Dalit education through literature, Harikathas (oral storytelling), and lectures.
Inspired by Bhagya Reddy Varma, Chandrashekhar Rao said the Telangana government is successfully implementing several schemes to uplift Scheduled Castes (SCs), focusing on their education and empowerment. These initiatives include a special development fund, the Ambedkar overseas scholarship for higher education abroad, skill training programs, the allocation of three acres of land for Dalits, concessions for SC entrepreneurs, TS-PRIDE to train Dalit entrepreneurs, up to 101 units of free electricity for economically disadvantaged SC families, and also Gurukula programme to provide a brighter future for SCs through quality education.
The Chief Minister emphasised that the government is actively working towards the comprehensive development of SCs, focusing on education and other programs. He mentioned that the Dalit Bandhu scheme, unique to Telangana, aims to ensure the complete development and self-sufficiency of SCs. The Telangana State Secretariat has been renamed after Dr BR Ambedkar, apart from installing his 125-foot statue in Hyderabad, highlighting the government’s commitment to uplift the Dalit community. He emphasised the need for more initiatives to comprehensively uplift Dalits, and assured to actively pursue them in the future.