Hyderabad: There will be a scheme like Dalit Bandhu for Muslims as well in Telangana, said chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) on Tuesday. The TRS supremo, while responding to questions, also said that all other schemes like fee reimbursement for Scheduled Castes (SC) will continue as usual as well.
“Inshallah we will go forward like this. Even among Muslims there are many Pasmanda (backward class), we know it. I am saying that on every person’s face in Telangana should have a glow, be it Muslims, Dalits, or our BC (Backward Classes) brothers,” said chief minister KCR, while speaking at the ongoing assembly session in Hyderabad.
KCR also said that the Dalit Bandhu scheme, under which every beneficiary will get Rs 10 lakh, is only a path for their upliftment. “The Dalit Bandhu scheme will not turn someone’s house into gold. As far as Muslims are concerned, our government is working much better than earlier (governments). We have given more scholarships, and even training for IAS/IPS candidates,” he added.
The Telangana chief minister said that funds for minority welfare were slashed, but that budgets cuts were for everything due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Whatever we promise we fulfill. Many states are still not in plus (growth) due to corona, but thankfully wre are. There will definitely be a Dalit Bandhu like scheme for Muslims. All committees have mentioned that the community is in a bad state,” said KCR.
He informed that there are close to 18 lakh Dalits in the state, and that the criteria for the Dalit Bandhu scheme is being Dalits. “That is enough. There were two people who are retired government employees, and they said they don’t need the Dalit Bandhu scheme in Huzurabad. Like that, there may be Dalit IAS officers or businessmen. Like these two people came forward, I hope others do as well. But 96% of Dalits are poor,” KCR stated.
Under KCR’s newly launched Dalit Bandhu scheme, the Huzurabad assembly seat, the bypoll for which is to be held on October 30, was chosen for the scheme’s pilot introduction. Rs 2,000 crore was also sanctioned for it in September, and later four more mandals were also added as part of the pilot implementation of the programme.