`500cr for 5K Dalits in August
Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao will transfer `500 crore into the bank accounts of 5,000 Dalit families in Huzurabad constituency next month under the Dalita Bandhu scheme. Each family will receive `10 lakh each. The finance department on Thursday issued orders releasing `500 crore for the purpose.
Sources said Chandrashekar Rao is considering August 15 for launching the scheme to commemorate the Independence Day. Works are going on at a war-footing in Huzurabad to enable the scheme. The government roped in many survey teams, comprising various officials. They have been visiting every Dalitwada in Huzu-rabad for the past two days to gather details about their choices on using the scheme benefits.
A beneficiary can choose from a wide range of choices for selfemployment such as buying a power tiller, harvester, paddy planting machines, auto-trolleys, or tractors for their farms to setting up a poultry farm, dairy farm, oil mill, grinding mill, steel, cement and bricks business, furniture shops, cloth emporiums, mobile phone shops or even tiffin centres and eateries.
Special task forces are being set up to monitor how the beneficiaries are utilising the money, and their economic progress after availing the scheme.
There are 139 Dalitwadas in Huzurabad constituency with over 20,000 Dalits. Officials were asked to complete a door-to-door survey of each household and submit a report to the state government. The Chief Minister will randomly select 5,000 families in the first phase and transfer `10 lakh cash each in August.
With 5,000 families in each phase, the entire Dalit population in Huzurabad constituency would be covered in four phases.
The plan is to transfer cash in August and September and assess the pros and cons of the scheme till the end of the current financial year in March and rectify possible defects before extending the scheme to the entire state in the
2022-23 fiscal. Meanwhile, the government has engaged
136 engineers to survey Dalitwadas on existing infrastructure facilities and suggest measures to improve the same and the funds required for the purpose.
Chandrashekar Rao Rao will also announce special funds to improve infrastructure facilities in Dalitwadas, like roads, drainage system and drinking water supply.