Dalits face injustice as Congress Govt remains stubborn on frozen Dalit Bandhu accounts

About 5,000 beneficiaries, who established various business units with the financial assistance given as the first installment by the previous BRS government, are facing troubles to run their units since they are unable to do transactions after their bank accounts were frozen by the current government

Karimnagar: Despite repeated protests by beneficiaries of the Dalit Bandhu scheme, the State government has remained indifferent on the issue of frozen Dalit Bandhu accounts, for which orders were issued soon after the Congress government came to power in the State in December 2023.

About 5,000 beneficiaries, who established various business units with the financial assistance given as the first installment by the previous BRS government, are facing troubles to run their units since they are unable to do transactions after their bank accounts were frozen by the current government.

---

They have been agitating demanding that the accounts be unfrozen. Huzurabad MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy too has been fighting on behalf of the Dalits, since most of the beneficiaries are from his constituency.

A rally organized by dalits in Huzurabad town recently demanding the release of the second installment turned violent with the police trying to quell the protest. While a few dalits sustained injuries, Kaushik Reddy was admitted to hospital as he developed breathing problems. However, there was no response from the State government on the issue.

According to sources in the SC Corporation, Dalit Bandhu disbursals worth about Rs.260 crore, ranging from instalments of Rs.20,000 to Rs.7.5 lakh, were pending in Karimnagar.

In order to bring a comprehensive change in the lives of dalits, former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had launched Dalit Bandhu scheme from Shalapalli-Indiranagar, Huzurabad mandal on August 16, 2021.

Initially, the scheme was implemented in Huzurabad assembly constituency on a pilot basis. Later, it was expanded to other parts of the State. It was implemented in an inclusive manner in Huzurabad segment, wherein a total of 18,021 beneficiaries from different mandals were selected. Rs.1784.79 crore were sanctioned to ground 16,149 units.

The total amount of Rs.10 lakh was sanctioned to the beneficiaries, who had selected big units such as passenger transportation vehicles, supermarkets, tractors, JCBs, DCMs, excavators, mini buses, tipper lorries and others.

Meanwhile, Rs.5 lakh was sanctioned to the beneficiaries, who had chosen small units such as kirana stores, mini supermarkets, welding shops, kangan halls and other units.

The second installment of Rs.5 lakh was also deposited in the accounts of beneficiaries. Though the total amount of Rs.10 lakh was deposited in their bank accounts, some of the beneficiaries had not started their units.

Instead of starting units, a few beneficiaries had tried allegedly to withdraw the interest amounts, following which the State government instructed the District Collector to freeze all Dalit Bandhu bank accounts. Based on the government’s instructions, the Collector on December 13, 2023 instructed bankers to freeze the accounts.

Since then, there has been no change in the situation, with SC Corporation officials refusing to comment on the issue.