Khammam: Irregularities in Dalit Bandu scheme spark protests

Khammam: In a demonstration of frustration and discontent, hundreds of Dalits, along with their family members, took to the streets in Budidampadu village, situated in the Raghunadhapalem mandal, alleging irregularities in the implementation of the Dalit Bandu scheme. The protestors, who raised black flags and chanted slogans, brought traffic on the Khammam to Yellandu road to a standstill for hours here on Thursday.

With an estimated 400 Dalit families residing in Budidampadu village, it was revealed that numerous ineligible beneficiaries, including members of the BRS party, were included in the Dalit Bhandu scheme list. Allegedly, certain BRS party leaders had tipped off their fellow party workers in the village about their inclusion in the list. K Narayana, a prominent figure among the protestors, voiced their collective outrage, stating, “We are genuine and economically disadvantaged Dalits, yet our names were unjustly omitted from the list. Some ruling party leaders are deliberately obstructing our inclusion.”

Narayana further demanded that the government conduct a thorough verification process to distinguish eligible recipients from ineligible ones and ensure the fair distribution of benefits under the Dalit Bhandu scheme.

The protest led to the disruption of traffic along the busy Khammam to Yellandu road, inconveniencing thousands of commuters. In response, the local police intervened, assuring the protestors that they would escalate the issue to the district administration for swift resolution. These allegations of irregularities shed light on the need for transparent implementation of government welfare programmes.