Harish Rao demands clearance of pending Kalyana Lakshmi applications

BRS leader T Harish Rao accused the Congress government of delaying payments under Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak, claiming nearly two lakh applications were pending. He demanded immediate clearance of dues, implementation of the gold promise and continuation of both schemes

Hyderabad: BRS Legislature Party (BRSLP) deputy leader T Harish Rao on Friday accused the Congress government of weakening the Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak schemes, claiming that nearly two lakh applications had been pending for a year and financial assistance to beneficiaries was being delayed.

He demanded immediate clearance of the pending applications, implementation of the Congress’ promise to provide gold and continuation of both schemes without political interference.

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Marking the schemes’ 12th anniversary, Harish Rao said the initiative launched by former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had evolved into a social reform programme by easing marriage expenses for poor families and helping prevent child marriages.

Recalling the scheme’s origins, Harish Rao said Chandrashekhar Rao was moved by the plight of tribal farmer Banothu Keemanayak, whose savings of Rs 50,000 and gold kept for his daughter’s wedding were destroyed in a fire at Gutthuru Thanda in Mulugu mandal in March 2002. Chandrashekhar Rao subsequently helped arrange the marriage, an experience that, he said, inspired the scheme.

The Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak schemes were introduced on October 2, 2014, with financial assistance of Rs 51,000. The assistance was later increased to Rs 75,116 in 2017 and Rs 1,00,116 in 2018.

During the nine-and-a-half-year BRS rule, more than 13.15 lakh beneficiaries received over Rs 11,560 crore, Harish Rao claimed.

He alleged that expenditure on the schemes had fallen sharply under the Congress government, leaving families waiting for payments even after their daughters’ marriages. He also alleged that the Congress had failed to fulfil its election promise of providing one tola of gold along with financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh.