TRS banks on BC welfare schemes

​Hyderabad: Ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leaders are banking on the tailor-made schemes of the government for the Backward Caste community to help them in winning the Assembly elections.

The party leaders said that the community-based tailor-made schemes, which were brought out for Yadavs (sheep distribution), Gouds (toddy shops) and Gangaputra and Mudiraj (fish seedlings distribution) would help the party to get handsome number of votes.

A senior TRS leader said that the government from the beginning focused on the attracting the caste-based organisations. The initial beneficiaries were the Gouds, who were provided relief by opening up toddy shops in the city. This had helped in instilling confidence among the community. There were other sops announced, including enhancing of the ex gratia in case of any untoward eventuality. 

The next step by the government to attract the BCs was to provide sheep to the Yadav and Kuruma communities. While the opposition mocked the scheme, the ruling party members, including minister said that this was a success story as it has improved the financial position of the Yadavs and Kuruma communities. The government had distributed 60 lakh sheep to the Yadav and Kuruma communities. 

Similar policy was adopted by the government towards the Gangaputra and Mudiraj community. The government provided fish seedlings worth Rs 42 crore, which benefitted about 4,000 fisheries cooperative societies involving 24 lakh fishermen mostly Gangaputra and Mudiraj communities.

A TRS leader said that there was a time when people believed TDP was the party of the BCs but now the situation has changed. “The BC vote-bank is now looking towards TRS because of the tailor-made schemes made for them. The chief minister has given details of the beneficiaries to the candidates. They would highlight during their campaign. 

This would definitely ensure the victory of TRS in the coming elections,” he said. Most Backward Castes (MBC) Chairman T Srinivas told The Hans India that the BC communities were going to ensure victory of the party in the coming elections. He said that the government had allocated Rs 6,000 crore for the BCs in the budget and the communities were given the support they needed for their uplift.