Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has directed the officials concerned to expedite distribution of benefits under Dalit Bandhu, the scheme to promote entrepreneurship among dalits with one-time grant of ₹ 10 lakh each. The State government had ensured release of funds for the prestigious scheme and there should be no delays in distribution of benefits to eligible families, he said.
The Chief Minister’s Office Secretary Rahul Bojja informed the Chief Minister that the department had so far given the amounts to 25,000 eligible beneficiaries at the rate of 400 beneficiaries a day.
Mr. Rao, who reviewed the implementation of the scheme with senior officials on Tuesday, said there should be no delays in release of amounts. The government would soon conduct a meeting of the district Collectors to chalk out steps to ensure speedy implementation of the scheme.
The scheme received accolades from different parts of the country and it was sure to yield better results than anticipated. Every rupee given under Dalit Bandhu would turn into an investment and yield profits to the beneficiaries. This would in turn become a social investment which would accelerate economic growth better than the agriculture sector and in turn, contribute to significant growth in the GSDP, the Chief Minister claimed.
The manner in which the investments made through the Dalit Bandhu grants were yielding results bore testimony for this. The government had targeted release of Dalit Bandhu grant to two lakh families a year so that the disappointment in the youth was removed and they were enthused to become entrepreneurs.
Steps should be taken to see that reservations to dalits were implemented in grant of licences for setting up hospitals, fertilizer shops and other trades so as to provide opportunities to them, he added.
