Mild tension prevails during Prajavani in Karimnagar

Delay in Dalit Bandhu sanctions due to changes in units: Karimnagar officials

Karimnagar: Mild tension prevailed at the Collectorate auditorium here when the Dalits staged protests carrying pesticides bottles threatening to commit suicide in protest against the officials’ delay in the sanction of Dalit Bandhu units. While the officials were collecting the petitions from the people as part of weekly ‘Prajavani’ (public grievances redressal) programme at collectorate auditorium, several Dalits from Illandakunta and Huzurabad mandals arrived and squatted on the floor and displayed the pesticide bottles with an intention to commit suicide.

They alleged that the authorities had failed to distribute Dalit Bandhu scheme to them. However, later authorities enquired from each of the beneficiaries to ascertain the reason for the delay and concluded that the delay was because of the beneficiaries changing their units proposed and some of them applying for a group initiative rather than the individual units. Authorities told the beneficiaries that in the event of modification of the units or change of status from individual to group, verifications of the schemes proposed have to be done all over again. Hence the delay, they were explained.

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Earlier, the beneficiaries complained that though the authorities had deposited Rs 9.90 lakhs in their bank accounts during the launch of the scheme, their accounts were put on hold and they were not allowed to withdraw the amount. Though they had submitted applications for the sanction of the scheme more than 10 times, their petitions were confined to the mandal level office only and they were not reaching the district headquarters, they alleged.

The police and other officials rushed to the spot and took the protestors away from the auditorium to continue the prajavani programme without any disturbance. It is learnt that the sanction of the amount to beneficiaries has been delayed as they changed units. While some dalits changed their units, a few others applied under group units by cancelling individual units. Knowing about the incident, Collector RV Karnan summoned some of the beneficiaries to his chamber and interacted with them.

Enquiring about the units chosen by the beneficiaries, Collector made it clear that sanction of the amount has been delayed due to change of units by beneficiaries. Officials have to carry out resurvey if a beneficiary has changed his/her unit. So, it would take more time. Karnan instructed the officials to clear all pending units within one week.