Telangana to launch Dalit Bandhu programme on August 16

The Telangana Government will launch its Dalit Bandhu programme, meant to empower the Dalit, on August 16. This was announced by State Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao in Hyderabad today.

According to the government, the scheme is meant to encourage entrepreneurship in the Dalit community and to eradicate poverty in it. The decision was taken unanimously at the state cabinet meeting. Some of the ministers suggested that a special law should be introduced to give legal sanctity to for the implementation of the Dalit Bandhu programme.

Rao has proposed that each district in the state should have a Centre for Dalit Enterprise to promote Dalit entrepreneurs. The Chief Minister felt that such schemes should be introduced in every state in the country. Speaking to mediapersons, he expressed pain that the Dalit, who constitute 20 per cent of the state’s population, only 13 lakh acres of agricultural land in the state and that their situation is worse than that of the tribals.

Under the Dalit Bandhu programme each beneficiary can get up to Rs 10 lakh to be an entrepreneur or to become self-employed. Training programmes and guidance will be available under the programme, for the Dalit to set-up their own business. Ministers and district collectors have been asked to play a key role in the implementation of the scheme in each district.

On August 16, the pilot project of Dalit Bandhu programme will be launched in Huzurabad assembly constituency.

Independently, Scheduled Caste Development Minister Koppula Eeshwar stated that the Dalit Bandhu programme will bring about a major change in the lives of the Dalit, who have been forced to lead a miserable life for centuries.