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Dalit Bandhu is not just a scheme, but a movement: CM KCR

Chandrashekhar Rao promised to provide reservations for Dalits in allotment of businesses, to ensure their economic development.

By Telangana Today

Updated On - 27 July 2021, 12:57 AM

Dalit Bandhu is not just a scheme, but a movement: CM KCR

Hyderabad: The Telangana Dalit Bandhu is not just a government programme, but a movement for empowerment of Dalits aimed at bringing a qualitative change in society, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao asserted.

He stated that the future of Dalit Bandhu depends upon its success in Huzurabad Assembly constituency and hence, it was important that all the Dalit representatives from the constituency work with commitment and coordination.

He was addressing the gathering of 427 Dalit representatives and resource persons along with elected representatives from Huzurabad constituency, who attended the orientation programme organised at Telangana Bhavan on Monday. He paid floral tributes to the portrait of Dr B R Ambedkar ahead of starting the orientation programme.

Finance Minister T Harish Rao, SC Development Minister Koppula Eeshwar, MLAs and officials also attended the programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Chandrashekhar Rao said discrimination against Dalits can be rooted out only through their economic empowerment. “The participants in today’s conference should succeed in Huzurabad constituency and create awareness among Dalits across Telangana. If the Dalit Bandhu programme is successful, it will pave the way for the economic development of not only Dalits, but also other communities in the State who have been deprived of any opportunity or support to empower themselves,” he said. He pointed out that the last leg of Telangana agitation started with just one person which eventually grew into a movement, forcing the Centre to deliver the State. Similarly, he wanted the Dalit Bandhu programme to become a trendsetter of sorts for the entire nation.

The Chief Minister hoped that the financial assistance provided by the State government under the scheme, will empower the Dalit community in Telangana State to grow into a business community. He gave a clarion call to the educated Dalits to join hands with the State government in its historic efforts for development of the Dalit community and realise the ideals of Dr B R Ambedkar. He reiterated that the Telangana Dalit Bandhu scheme would uplift the self-esteem of Dalits by ending social discrimination and also economic discrimination against them.

Aid for families having plots

Chairing the orientation programme on implementation of the Dalit Bandhu scheme at Pragathi Bhavan on Monday, the Chief Minister asserted that there should be no homeless Dalit family in the constituency. He wanted them to approve and provide necessary financial assistance for the Dalit families having vacant plots, to construct houses for themselves. Similar facilities will be extended to the rest of the Dalit families across the State in a phased manner.

The elected representatives were directed to identify the issues pertaining to the Dalit families including lack of ration cards or social security pensions and submit reports to the authorities concerned at the earliest. “People suffering from various diseases should be identified in every Dalit ward in Huzurabad constituency. Upon submission of a report to the officials concerned, the government will provide free medical assistance to them,” he declared.

Chandrashekhar Rao instructed the district Collectors to identify and address all pending problems pertaining to obtaining digital signatures of Dalits in the Huzurabad constituency, by inviting them to the Collector’s office. He asked the officials to prepare a list of lands in possession of the Dalits as per the Grama Kantams (village land records) and take steps to provide them rights over these lands.

The officials were also directed to prepare a profile of all the Dalit areas in the Huzurabad constituency to give a comprehensive overview of conditions in these areas. “We must implement the scheme effectively such that other States emulated it on the lines of other novel schemes implemented in Telangana State over the years,” he said.