Telangana CM defends new Dalit scheme; says 'nothing wrong if there's political gain'

Ahead of the 'Telangana Dalitha Bandhu' scheme announcement, on Wednesday, July 21, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, questioned what was wrong in gaining political mileage out of announcing a new scheme. The scheme is aimed at Dalit empowerment and will be implemented all over the state with Rs 1200 crore expenditure. 

Telangana CM questioned, “TRS is 100 percent a political party and when a scheme is launched we expect to derive political mileage out of it. Why should we not do so when those who don’t have the power to implement schemes are trying to gain political advantage?”

Speaking at the party headquarters in Telangana Bhavan, Chandrasekhar said that the government has already announced the implementation of the Dalita Bandhu scheme on a pilot basis in the Huzurabad Assembly Constituency which is due for bye-election.

He informed that all-important schemes of his party from Karimnagar district are introduced as it holds sentimental value to him. And Huzurabad assembly segment also comes under the Karimnagar district, where he plans to implement Dalita Bandhu,

Huzurabad by-polls and Telangana Dalitha Bandhu scheme

Ahead of the Huzurabad By-Polls, Telangana Chief Minister KCR had announced a scheme 'Telangana Dalitha Bandhu' scheme for Dalit empowerment and under the pilot project, this scheme will be first implemented in the Huzurabad assembly constituency.

The Huzurabad Constituency was selected to implement the pilot project on which an additional Rs 1500 to 2000 crore would be spent in the constituency to extend Rs 10 Lakh cash given under the Telangana Dalita Scheme to 20,929 beneficiaries.

The by-election is on-demand due to the resignation of former Health minister Eatala Rajender who has joined the BJP. His party shifted is reasoned as the rise in inquiries into alleged land grabbing by companies owned by his family. Earlier a BJP delegation including Rajender had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi and discussed Huzurabad by-polls. Amit Shah has also confirmed that he will take part in the by-elections campaign.

The Congress is yet to finalize their candidates as Padi Kaushik Reddy, who has earlier fought unsuccessfully against TRS, has now left the party.

(Image credit: PTI)