Vijayawada: SCs need economic uplift

Vijayawada: National SC Commission member K Ramulu said here on Tuesday that the members of Scheduled Caste communities should be helped financially through the welfare programmes introduced by the state and the Central governments.

He was addressing the review meeting of the welfare schemes being implemented for the SCs at the collector's camp office here.

Ramulu said that the construction of Ambedkar Bhavan at Machavaram taken up at a cost of Rs 1.45 crore should be completed as early as possible. He said that 750 families were living in the same colony without any drainage facility. "The municipal authorities should immediately take up the sanitation and drainage work in the area," he said.

If the construction of the community halls and other buildings for the SCs were stopped due to paucity of funds, funds from other sources could be utilised for completing them, he advised the officials.

While reviewing with the DRDA officials, Ramulu asked them as to how many were provided with work under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) for 100 days. Project director of DRDA informed him that 4,00,600 job cards were given in the district and the work was provided in Tiruvuru and A Konduru areas where SC,ST population was more.

While reviewing the working of SC Corporation, Ramulu said that the corporation received 65,000 applications under various schemes and interviews were also conducted. He instructed the officials to make sure they received bank loans. The 140 units which were sanctioned to the SCs through District Industries Centre should be given subsidised bank loans, he said.TIDCO officials informed the member that the construction of 96,130 houses was undertaken under three categories. The G+3 houses would be constructed in Vijayawada city. Ramulu instructed the officials to make sure the caste certificates were issued to the Scheduled Caste persons without any mistakes and after full enquiry.

District collector A Md Imtiaz, joint collector Dr Madhavi Latha, municipal commissioner Prasanna Venkatesh, commissioner of police Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, SP Ravindra Babu, joint collector-2 K Mohan Kumar, DRO A S V Prasad, social welfare deputy director Saraswati and officials of various departments were also present.