₹250 cr. released for Dalit Bandhu

The State Government has released ₹ 250 crore to four mandals selected for the ambitious Dalit Bandhu, aimed at financial empowerment of dalit families with a grant of ₹10 lakh each to promote entrepr

The State Government has released ₹ 250 crore to four mandals selected for the ambitious Dalit Bandhu, aimed at financial empowerment of dalit families with a grant of ₹10 lakh each to promote entrepreneur skills. Accordingly, ₹50 crore each has been released to Tirumalgiri mandal in Suryapet district, Charugonda mandal of Nagarkurnool district, Nizamabad mandal of Kamareddy district and ₹100 crore for Chintakani mandal in Madhira constituency of Khammam district. Incidentally, Madhira, represented by Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, received the highest allocation.

The release follows criticism of the opposition parties that the government has cold shouldered the scheme after bypolls to the Huzurabad Assembly constituency where its candidate received a drubbing at the hands of former Minister Eatala Rajender who resigned from the ruling TRS and joined the BJP. Substantiating the opposition"s criticism was the launch of Dalit Bandhu in Huzurabad Assembly constituency where the project was implemented on a saturation mode.

Following the criticism it faced, the government selected four mandals for implementation of the project. The Scheduled Castes Finance Corporation which released funds to the accounts of collectors of the respective districts said the scheme should be implemented on a saturation mode in the mandals for which the funds had been released.