According to the latest reports, the State government spent Rs 4,191.8 crore under the Dalit Bandhu scheme during the current fiscal, benefiting 38,328 Dalit families in the State. Approximately, Rs 17,700 crore have been allocated in the 2023-24 budget which will benefit 1,100 persons each in 118 constituencies in the State.
Responding to a discussion on SC Development in the Assembly on Thursday, Minister Koppula Eeshwar stated that the State government will spend Rs 36,706 crore under the SC Special Development Fund for SC development. He stated that as a result of the Dalit Bandhu scheme, those who were previously employed as labourers have now become owners and are earning a higher income.
The Minister stated for socio-economic empowerment of the SCs, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao was giving a strong push to provide them quality education through residential institutions.
The state government runs around 268 gurukul schools and 238 residential junior colleges for SC students along with 30 residential degree colleges exclusively for women.
Furthermore, under the Dr. BR Ambedkar Overseas Scholarship, the State government is providing Rs 10-20 lakh to each SC students qualified for overseas education. Around Rs 168 crore were spent to provide overseas education to 953 students. He said all the funds pertaining to the SC brides under Shaadi Mubharak has been cleared for 2021-22 and around 342 applications for 2022-23 in the progress.
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Politicians from all parties, including those from other states, have praised Telangana’s Dalit Bandhu, a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country.
Many are putting pressure on their governments to implement such programs. A Tamil Nadu delegation led by Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) MLAs recently visited the state to study welfare and development programs, particularly Dalit Bandhu. The delegation travelled to Karimnagar and Huzurabad, where they met with Dalit Bandhu beneficiaries.
No other state was implementing such a program, and Kattumarnarkoil MLA Sinthanai Selvan praised the Telangana government for doing so on a large scale.
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