Congress responsible for backwardness of SCs, STs: CM KCR

He reminded that even today, attacks on Dalits were being witnessed in north Indian States including Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Gujarat.

Hyderabad: BRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday said the Congress was solely responsible for the backwardness of scheduled castes and tribes, having ruled the country for over five decades. Even today, attacks on the Dalits were being reported in north Indian States including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State of Gujarat, since political parties were still treating them as mere vote banks.

“The Dalits were made to live on the village outskirts. No effort was made to help them till the BRS government launched Dalit Bandhu in Telangana for their socio-economic empowerment. Notwithstanding the achievements of the country, the backwardness of the Dalits and attrocities against them will remain a stain on this nation, unless there is action for their upliftment,” he said.

---

Addressing Praja Ashiravada Sabha meetings at Madhira, Wyra, Dornakal and Suryapet on Tuesday, Chandrashekhar Rao said the Dalit Bandhu scheme launched by the BRS government would serve as a testimony for the entire country to display Dalit empowerment. He said the scheme could not be implemented to benefit all eligible Dalit families at one go due to financial constraints.

“It is an ongoing process and will be implemented in a phased manner during the third term of the BRS,” he said, also promising to implement the Dalit Bandhu scheme on saturation mode in Madhira constituency if voted to power.

Pointing out that the BRS government took multiple measures for upliftment of the Dalits, ranging from reservations to SCs in licenses to operate liquor shops, fertiliser shops and medical shops, apart from government contracts among others, he said this was to ensure that the Dalits venture into new areas where they had no presence and to empower themselves.

The BRS government never discriminated against constituencies represented by opposition leaders. Citing Madhira as an example, he said the Dalit Bandhu scheme was being implemented in the constituency on saturation mode in Chintakani mandal on a pilot basis. “Every inch of Telangana is mine. As a person who strived hard for a separate State, I want to see all the parts of Telangana developed,” he added.

Chandrashekhar Rao pointed out that the BRS also took measures for empowerment of tribals including distribution of podu land pattas and extension of Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima schemes on par with farmers in plain areas. He said the BRS government had also upgraded tribal hamlets and constituted over 3,500 tribal gram panchayats fulfilling the decades of their aspirations to enable them rule their areas.