Welfare tops Telangana govt agenda

​Hyderabad: State government welfare schemes for the people have put the government in the good books of the people. Schemes namely, establishment of a separate corporation for the Most Backward Communities, enhancement of budget for Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak schemes and establishment of more BC Residential Schools are the highlights of the programmes for the welfare of the people. 

According to sources, the government earmarked Rs 34,491 crore for the welfare of Scheduled Castes, Tribes, Backward Classes, Women and Minorities under various heads. If the special development funds meant for the SC and STs are added, this amount would go up to Rs 46,632 crore. 

Particularly two schemes, Aasara pensions and Kalyana Lakshmi / Shaadi Mubarak have become the flagship programmes for the government in its endeavors to take care of the people.

The Aasara pensions scheme had been supporting the destitute and helpless with a monthly pension at a rate of Rs 1,000 to the aged, widows, toddy tappers, weavers, aids patients, beedi workers, and single women. Pensions at the rate of Rs 1,500 per month are given to differently abled persons and old age artists. The government is spending Rs 5,300 crore per year for 41.78 lakh people through the scheme. 

Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak schemes are being implemented for the benefit of poor parents grappling with problems of getting their girls married. So far, 2.12 lakh women under Kalyana Lakshmi and 78,003 under Shaadi Mubarak received the benefit. 

The government had so far invested an amount of Rs 1,625 crore under the scheme. In this financial year, an amount of Rs 1,450 crore was proposed for the scheme and also the amount distributed to the beneficiaries under the scheme had been raised to Rs 1.12 lakh from Rs 50,000. Under Kalyana Lakshmi scheme, an amount of Rs 436.86 crore was spent benefitting 71,770 SC women.

Aarogya Lakshmi scheme was implemented for the welfare and well-being of the women with an intention of providing complete meal for the health of mother and child and for overall growth of infants. As many as 35,700 Anganwadi centres are implementing the scheme. 

The government set two good traditions in spending funds for the progress of SCs and STs during the year 2017-18. A Special Development Fund had been created in proportion of the population of SCs and STs. This year the government allocated funds to Special Development Fund. In 2018-19, Rs 16,453 crore was allocated to SC SDF and Rs 9,693 crore to ST SDF.

The State has a SC population of 50.08 lakh constituting 15.45 per cent of the State population. As many as 2.5 lakh students are getting benefitted through various schemes being implemented for SCs. After formation of the State, an amount of Rs 1,459 crore worth scholarships have been disbursed so far. 

For the Scheduled Caste Development Department, an amount of Rs 12,709 crore was proposed in this year’s budget. The government is continuing the distribution of three acres land to SCs uninterruptedly. Based on the availability, land is being purchased for distribution to SCs. After formation of Telangana, in just 45-month, 12,745 acres land was distributed to 4,939 SCs under the scheme. For this scheme an amount of Rs 1,469 crore was proposed. 

For the welfare of the ST population, about 32.87 lakh, the government had allocated Rs 8,063 crore in this financial year. It had given priority for the education of children of Scheduled tribes. For this 319 Ashrama schools, 149 hostels, 1,432 girijan primary schools, 163 post matric hostels, 85 gurukulams, 29 mini gurukulams, 33 gurukula junior colleges and 22 gurukula degree colleges are functioning. In these institutions 2.06 lakh students are being imparted quality education. 

Telangana government initiated various measures for the overall development of backward classes who constitute 52 per cent of the population. In 450 pre-matric hostels, 250 college hostels in the State, 73,301 students are deriving benefits. Under post-matric scholarship scheme 7.58 lakh students are being paid tuition fees and maintenance fees. 

The government decided to provide financial support by distributing necessary tools to all those professional communities which are serving the society like nayee brahmins, washermen, medhari, vaddara, viswakarma, gouds and others. Government has also formulated specific programmes for them.

It established an MBC Corporation with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore for the welfare of most backward communities who do not even have recognition in the society.