Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatraya on Sunday felicitated the newly appointed Chairman B.S. Ramulu and three members – Dr. Vakulabharanam Krishna Mohan Rao, Dr. Eediga Anjaneya Goud and Juluru Gowri Shankar of Telangana State B.C. Commission. He expressed his happiness on the constitution of the commission even though very lately.
Dattatraya stated that the problems of the backward classes were deep and the officials only could solve the problems and hence the commission is of very high importance today. He invited the Chairman and Members to Delhi and promised that he would arrange for their meeting with Union Minister for Social Justice Thawar Chand Gehlot. He advised them to discuss the Telangana State BCs’ problems with the Union Minister and assured of the Centre’s full support and help towards the development of the BCs in the State. He appreciated them for their enthusiasm.
The Union Minister further stated that that skill development and education for BCs was of utmost importance to bring them into national stream and urged the State Government to impart the skill development on an intensive scale to increase their incomes and standards of living. He urged to make it fruitful with the Induction of the Technology and the Modern Technical implements in the crafts to boost the production and thus the artisans’ Incomes. The skill training should be imparted to the wards of the artisans and BCs also. The cooperative spirit has to be brought in and loans should be granted liberally. On account of the no subsidy component from the state government, the loans are not sanctioned and the lives of the BCs are affected a lot, the Minister stated.
He urged the State Govt to fund the caste federations to the extent of Rs 100 crore per each federation, constitute the committees in the Managing Committees in federations and bring up the standard of the BCs through them too.
Further, Dattatraya elaborated on the urgent need for the full funds for the reimbursement of fees to the BC students in the state. The Congress Government in 2013-14 did not sanction the amounts to students due to their election focus. The same was not done properly for the past three years. The annual budget usually was Rs. 4,000 crores and it was drastically brought down besides the part release of funds by TRS Govt. As a result, the education of the BC students is affected a lot and entire BCs in the state are suffering on account of the same. The education has become a dream for BCs. Colleges have been closed for poor attendance, admissions have come down. The rate as well as the amounts of the reimbursement came down. Utter confusion is the on the releases, he felt.
The Union Minister also spoke on the Bachawat Tribunal allocation of Krishna River Waters and stated that with 75% dependability, United AP (Telangana+AP) got 811 TMC assured waters and Brijesh Kumar Tribunal with 65% dependability, United AP (Telangana+AP) got 1001 TMC assured waters that is 190 TMC more. But, Karnataka and Maharashtra also were allocated 254 TMC more assured waters. At present only 250 TMC of water is coming from above to Telangana and AP. Because of this extra 254 TMC assured water allocation to Maharashtra and Karnataka, both Telangana and AP will not get the extra 190 TMC at all.
Therefore, he demamded that the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal should remove the 65% dependability allocation and make it as 75% dependability like before. Both Telangana and AP should be allocated water based on their catchment area proportion and both the states should fight it out in Supreme Court to direct the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal to do the allocation among the four States, he said.
Dattatraya urged the people of the Telangana to respond in full strength to the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the salute to the soldiers and stand in solidarity with the soldiers of the country and stand by them. He stated that on the occasion of this festive season of Deepawali, the Prime Minister invited citizens to pen their thoughts, their feelings, their sense of gratitude, towards our soldiers. The messages can be sent on the Narendra Modi App by giving a missed call to 1922 or in the comments section of thewww.mygov.in website. (INN)