Dalit Bandhu, the landmark scheme for socio-economic empowerment of Dalits, is a testament to BRS government’s commitment to emancipate Dalits from the shackles of poverty and promote entrepreneurship among them, Bharat Rashtra Samithi president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said.
Addressing an election meeting in Sattupalli town of Khammam district on Wednesday, Mr. Rao slammed the Congress and the BJP, accusing them of using Dalits as their vote banks. “For centuries Dalits faced discrimination and exploitation. Not a day passes without atrocities on Dalits in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat which are a blot on a civilised society,” he said.
Nobody asked me to introduce Dalit Bandhu, he said, adding that he had conceived the scheme on the lines of “Dalita Chaitanya Jyothi” programme implemented in Siddipet during his tenure as MLA in the past.
Dalit Bandhu was launched in Huzurabad on a pilot basis in 2021 and subsequently extended to Chintakani, Tirmalgiri, Charagonda and Nizamsagar mandals in four districts by constantly monitoring its implementation and evaluating its results.
The scheme was implemented in a saturation mode in these mandals, he noted.
Dalit Bandhu will be implemented here (Sattupalli) soon after the elections, he said while referring to the ‘GO’ issued in the first week of October for implementation of the scheme on saturation basis in Sattupalli segment.
Chintakani is in Madhira Assembly constituency represented by Opposition party leader (Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka), he said. He (Vikramarka) did not ask for it. But Chintakani was chosen for Dalit Bandhu in an impartial manner to empower Dalits, Mr Rao added.
Countering criticism against the Dharani portal by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he said, “Those opposed to the transparent system of Dharani are speaking against it. They want to abolish Dharani and Rythu Bandhu and bring back the middlemen system,” he charged.
“Desist from falling prey to the false promises of the Congress party,” he said accusing the Congress leaders of relying on false propaganda and money power to influence the voters.
Transport Minister P Ajay Kumar, the TRS floor leader in the Lok Sabha Nama Nageswara Rao, Sattupalli sitting MLA and the BRS candidate Sandra Venkata Veeraiah and others were present.
Addressing an election meeting in Yellandu late in the afternoon, Mr Rao said the BRS government distributed “Podu” land pattas to 15,107 tribal families for around 48,300 acres in Yellandu constituency and lifted cases registered against tribals relating to podu land issues in the past. He slammed the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre accusing it of unleashing privatisation spree and pursuing the detrimental policy of selling the PSUs and national assets.
The BRS has a proven track record of making separate Telangana a reality and steering the State on the growth trajectory with a pragmatic approach, he said, exuding confidence that the BRS was bound to return to power for the third term.
