Telangana: Dalit Bandhu applicants demand government to release funds

During the elections, the Congress party had promised to increase the assistance to Rs.12 lakh per beneficiary and rechristened the scheme as Ambedkar Abhaya Hastham.

Hyderabad: Beneficiaries, who were identified for assistance under Dalit Bandhu, staged a protest at Praja Bhavan demanding the State government to release the funds approved under phase II of the scheme.

The previous BRS government had offered Rs.10 lakh assistance to Dalits under the scheme. During the elections, the Congress party had promised to increase the assistance to Rs.12 lakh per beneficiary and rechristened the scheme as Ambedkar Abhaya Hastham.

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However, the beneficiaries, who were shortlisted under the phase II of the scheme, were demanding the release of funds approved by the previous BRS government. Depending on the beneficiaries plans to set up the units and the status of grounding such units, the district Collectors release the funds.

On Friday, several beneficiaries from different districts turned up in large numbers at Praja Bhavan to submit a representation to the government as part of the Praja Vani programme.

Earlier, over 500 beneficiaries under the aegis of Telangana Rashtra Dalit Bandhu Sadhana Ikya Porata Samithi took out a rally to the Praja Bhavan.

It has been over four months since the beneficiaries were shortlisted for assistance under the Dalit Bandhu. The previous government had also sanctioned Rs.3 lakhs to each beneficiary and the same were pending with district Collectors for final approval, said Telangana Rashtra Dalit Bandhu Sadhana Ikya Porata Samithi president Kogila Mahesh.

“We demand the State government to issue instructions to the district Collectors to release the Rs.3 lakh so that beneficiaries ground their respective units,” he said, adding that if the government does not consider their demands, they would further intensify their protests.