Dalit Bandhu scripts success stories in erstwhile Warangal

A total of 5,212 people were provided Rs 521.20 crore financial assistance in erstwhile Warangal

Warangal: Aimed at the economic empowerment of people of the Scheduled Castes (SCs), the ‘Dalit Bandhu’ scheme introduced by the State government is yielding wonderful results in the erstwhile Warangal district.

A total of 5,212 people were provided with an assistance of Rs 521.20 crore under the first phase of the ambitious scheme. Hanamkonda district topped in the implementation of the scheme with the sanction of 4,153 units, while Mahabubabad stood at the second place with the sanction of 305 units and Warangal at the third by benefiting 305 people. In Jangaon, as many as 185 people of the SCs were sanctioned Rs 10 lakh each per unit under the scheme, while 151 people got the assistance in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district and 115 people got the units allotted in Mulugu district under the scheme.

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Speaking to ‘Telangana Today’, Mahabubabad District Collector K Shashanka said that 105 of the total of 305 beneficiaries had chosen tractors under the Dalit Bandhu scheme. “59 preferred transport vehicles, 32 people chose cars and 20 purchased the earth movers/dozers/diggers under the Dalit Bandhu scheme in Mahabubabad district. 14 people purchased the paddy harvesters, while 22 people set up dairy and poultry farms and 12 purchased tent house material /DJ equipment, while 10 others were given the centering (construction) material. The remaining 31 people were sanctioned by other units,” he said.

ED, SC Corporation, Mahabubabad, Balaraju said that they were also monitoring the progress or performance of the units grounded under the Dalit Bandhu to ensure that the beneficiaries would not suffer loss.

A graduate Kanukurthi Narender, who used to work as a data entry operator in the past, is now owning a footwear shop in Mahabubabad town. “I used to get Rs 10,000 per month as a computer operator, but thanks to the Dalit Bandhu, I own a shop now and earning around Rs 40,000 per month by selling the footwear,” Narender said adding that he would remain indebted to Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao for introducing the Dalit Bandhu scheme.

Meanwhile, Sangi Narsaiah of Banajara village of Devaruppula mandal in Jangaon district, used to work as a salesman in a garments shop before setting up the garment shop called ‘Fashion Hub’ at Jangaon. A total of 15 people from the Banjara village were sanctioned the units against the total of 25 eligible people.

“The Kamalapur mandal, which falls under the Huzurabad Assembly constituency where the Dalit Bandhu pilot project launched, was divided into 12 clusters. A survey to identify the eligible beneficiaries was carried out by 32 members of several teams and a total of 3,788 beneficiaries were identified” according to Hanamkonda District Collector Rajeev Gandhi Hanumanthu.

All the eligible will get the business units as per their wishes under the Dalit Bandhu scheme in a phased manner, he said. Three youths of Uppal village Anil Kumar M, Krishna M and Satish Kumar M, were sanctioned three units. “The trio set up a single entity (a book agency) and provided employment to several marketing executives besides earning Rs 80,000 per month,” according to the SC Corporation officials.

People who faced much hardships leading life as daily wage earners now own either vehicles or business units as the government due to implementation of the Dalit Bandhu scheme.