Hyderabad: The Telangana State Scheduled Caste department today issued orders to implement the Dalit Bandhu scheme across Telangana. As per this scheme, a one-time direct cash transfer of Rs 10 lakh will be given to each eligible Dalit beneficiary. The new programme is the biggest direct benefit transfer scheme implemented so far.
The government hopes to extend financial help to Dalits to set up a business of their choice (if they so choose) or work in other fields thus aiding them with their financial independence under the scheme. Telangana chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) had remarked, “Dalit Bandhu is a free scheme and the amount given to the beneficiaries is not a loan. The amount does not have to be repaid and neither is there any involvement of middlemen.”
The government decided to start implementing the said scheme in the Huzurabad constituency as a pilot earlier in September and had sanctioned Rs 2000 for the same, to cover all Scheduled Caste households. In the past few months, leaders of the opposition have bemoaned this implementation as an attempt by the TRS led government to “lure” Dalits to vote for them in the upcoming Huzurabad by-election.
As per the orders issued by the state government, once beneficiaries for the scheme are verified, district collectors will identify a bank most suitable for them Dalits of each Mandal and open an account for the same under the head of each beneficiary family.
The passbooks for each account holder will be handed over specifically post which the collector will credit the amount of Rs 9,90,000 per eligible family, said a press note. The beneficiaries shall be grouped under the categories of Agriculture and allied activities, transport sector, manufacturing and industry, retail and shops as well as services and supplies.
From the available personnel, district collectors will identify resource persons for each group in the concerned departments and dispatch sector resource teams.
Keeping in mind the experience, preference and aptitude of the beneficiary, the sector resource persons shall engage with the same multiple times to ensure the scheme selection is done appropriately. District collectors will then prepare a schedule of training for each sector and train the beneficiaries accordingly.
Apart from the sector training, special modules for developing entrepreneurial skills and basic accounting capabilities shall also be developed and imparted to the beneficiaries.