Hyderabad, February 25: Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy said that education alone will bring social equality and the State government has been according top priority for education to the downtrodden and backward classes by providing several concessions.
Speaking at the Eashwari Bai Memorial Award-2011 function here on Thursday, Mr. Kiran said that along with education for the poor, the government had been working towards economic independence and empowerment of women. He, however, differed with president of Republican Party of India (RPI) Ramdas Athawale, who earlier said inter-caste marriages would achieve equality in the society, and said education was paramount for progress of any community.
Chairman of Legislative Council A. Chakrapani expressed dismay over the behaviour of legislators nowadays. “People used to be eager as to what their leaders will speak in the House those days. But, everybody knows what most of the members speak now,” he remarked.
Being a lone representative of her party Eashwari Bai used to draw attention of the government with her bold and sincere way in raising people’s problems, he recollected.
Chairman of the Eashwari Bai Trust and Minister for Major Industries J. Geetha Reddy, Minister for Cooperation K.V. Krishna Reddy, Vice-Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority M. Shashidhar Reddy also spoke. The award was presented to Union Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja in absentia.
-Agencies