All-party meeting: Rs 10L to be transferred into bank accounts of each Dalit beneficiary

The move is aimed at making Dalits financially self-sufficient.

In the first phase, 100 families each from 119 Assembly Constituencies would be eligible for assistance. Around 11,900 people will be selected for assistance in the first phase.

On Sunday, KCR chaired an all-party meeting at Pragathi Bhavan to finalise guidelines for the CM Dalit Empowerment Programme. In the 11-hour meeting, several Dalit MPs, MLAs, MLCs, intellectuals, senior leaders from various political parties participated.

All-Party meeting decided to earmark Rs 1200 crore for the CM Empowerment Programme. It was also decided to transfer assistance directly into the bank accounts of Dalit beneficiaries akin to the Rythu Bandhu Scheme.

The CM said All Party meeting was convened to make Dalits stakeholders and bring qualitative change in their life.

Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, CMO officials Narsing Rao, Bhoopal Reddy, Ms Smita Sabharwal, Seshadri, Ms Priyanka Varghese, Sridhar Rao Deshpande, Principal Secretary (Finance) Ramakrishna Rao, SC development Department Secretary Rahul Bojja, Buddha Vanam Special Officer Mallepalli Laxmaiah, SC Corporation MD Karunakar, SC development Department additional Director Ms Uma Devi, GT Venkateswar Rao and others participated.

"It is a blot on Indian society that Dalits are subjected to social and economic discrimination. This is deeply bothering us. Telangana government has introduced several schemes and programmes for the development and welfare of Dalits. The Rs 1200 Crores CM Dalit Empowerment Programme is being introduced to uplift the marginalized section of society," KCR said.

The CM said from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, Dalits are being exploited socially and economically. "The state government is ready to implement the action plan for the welfare of Dalits," he said.

"In the state, 7, 79, 902 SC farmers own 13, 58,000 acres agriculture land. We have to find out how much is the assigned land. We have to identify land, which has no irrigation facility. We have to make a database of SC landholdings. If need be, the state machinery will spend 10 to 15 days on this exercise. The government is ready to spend Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000 Crore for the next to three to four years," he said.

The CM said with projects like Kaleswaram, there is an increase in agriculture-based employment. "In the urban areas, Dalit youth explore possibilities in industrial and technological sectors," he said.

He said the government is aiming to implement Dalit Empowerment Programme strictly. He clarified that the funds allocated for the Dalit Empowerment Programme are over and above the money allocated for the SC sub-plan.