Telangana Budget: All you want to know about welfare schemes, beneficiaries

Telangana has earmarked a big chunk of money for various welfare programmes in the budget.

CM Dalit Empowerment Programme

The Finance Minister Harish Rao said that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has conceived a new scheme for the all-round development of Scheduled Castes. Named CM Dalit Empowerment Programme, an allocation of Rs. 1,000 crore has been proposed for the scheme. These benefits will accrue to the Scheduled Castes following the introduction of this new programme.

Aasara pensions

Under this scheme, each old age person, widow, beedi worker, toddy tapper, weaver, badirilu, bodakaalu (elephantiasis) victim, AIDs victim, and a single woman is getting Rs.2016 pension. Each physically challenged person, poor and old artist is getting Rs. 3016 Aasara pensions regularly.

Aasara pensions are being distributed to 3936521 people in the state. As per the audit report of 2019-2020, the state government is spending 98.80% on pensions. The Central government is contributing only 1.20%. An amount of Rs.11,728 crore is proposed in Budget Estimates 2021-22 for this scheme.

Kalyana Lakshmi / Shaadi Mubarak:

The government helps parents who are struggling to perform their daughter's marriages due to poverty. Under this scheme, the government is giving Rs.1,00,116 assistance for poor girls' marriage.

Similarly, for Muslim girls nikah, the same scheme is being implemented under the name Shaadi Mubarak. So far, the government has released Rs. 6,480 crores which benefitted 84521 people under this scheme. An amount of Rs.2,750 crore is proposed in Budget Estimates 2021-22 for Kalyana Lakshmi / Shaadi Mubarak scheme.

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes welfare:

To attain comprehensive development of Scheduled Casts and Scheduled Tribes, Telangana government is the only State to have introduced Special Development Fund Act. Proportionate to the population of SC, ST people, the government is allocating funds directly in the Budget

An amount of Rs. 21,306.85 crores is proposed in Budget Estimates 2021-22 towards SCs Special Development Fund and Rs. 12,304.23 crores are proposed in Budget Estimates 2021-22 towards STs Development Fund are proposed in this Budget.

Welfare of Backward Classes:

After the formation of the Telangana government, the number of BC Residential Schools has increased to 281. Accommodation, books, uniforms and other facilities are provided in the schools free of cost. Presently 113280 students are studying in these schools. For the maintenance of these schools, the government has allocated Rs.545 crores for 2021.

For the purpose of pursuing overseas education by BC students, an amount of Rs.20 lakh each is being provided by the Government of Telangana in the name of the Mahatma Jyothi Rao Phule Overseas Scholarship Scheme. So far an amount of Rs.178.52 crores has been sanctioned to 1,082 B.C., students.

Welfare of Toddy Tappers:

The government has introduced Neera Policy for the welfare of Toddy Tappers. For this, an amount of Rs.25 crore is proposed in this Budget. As a part of Haritha Haram, 34 plantations of Palmyra and Palm trees have been taken up. For accidental deaths, the government is extending Rs.6 lakh ex-gratia to the families of Toddy Tappers.

Welfare of Golla Kurmalu:

To achieve self-sufficiency in meat production, and enhance the living standards of Golla Kurmalu, the Telangana government has taken up sheep distribution on a large scale. The government has distributed 77,02,737 sheep among 366 797 beneficiaries across the state with a cost of Rs. 4,584 crores.

It also provided an insurance facility to these sheep. An additional 1.20 crore sheep were produced and distributed. With this, Rs. 5,400 crores wealth was added to Golla Kurmalu in the state.

In the coming financial year, the government decided to provide another 3 lakh units with a cost of Rs.3000 crores to Golla Kurmalu.

Welfare of Minorities

In this financial year, an amount of Rs.561 crore has been allocated for Minority Residential Schools. One lakh Minority students are studying in the schools.

In 'Jamia Nizamia', a spacious auditorium has been constructed by the government at a cost of Rs.15 crore. For the construction of the Islamic Cultural Convention Centre, the government has allotted 10 acres of land in Kokapet.

For 1,684 Minority students willing to pursue their education abroad, an amount of Rs. 294 crore has been sanctioned under Overseas Scholarship Scheme. Also, the Construction of buildings for 54 minority residential schools has been taken up at a cost of Rs.1054 crore.

Overall an amount of Rs.1602 crore is proposed in the Budget Estimates 2021-22 for Minority Welfare.

Welfare of Gulf Workers

Telangana government has decided to put in place an administrative arrangement on the lines of Kerala for the welfare of workers from Telangana who had gone to the Gulf Countries for livelihood. A Special Team has visited Kerala to study the policies being adopted by the Kerala Government. Based on the report of the Team the Government will initiate measures for the welfare of Gulf workers.

Women and Child Welfare

An amount of Rs. 1,702 crore is proposed in Budget Estimates 2021-22 for Women and Child Welfare.

Welfare of archakas and temple staff

A total amount of Rs.720 crore is proposed for the development of temples and the welfare of archakas and staff in Budget Estimates 2021-22.