CM announces sops to SCs and STs

Eluru: Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has announced several sops for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. A Addressing an awareness meeting on the SC/ST Sub-Plan as part of his tour of Jagareddygudem in West Godavari district on Friday, he said that the government would take measures to fill all the backlog posts of SCs and STs.

He said that his government had allocated Rs 12,256 crore under SC/ST Sub-Plan in the budget, of which Rs. 8,585 crore would be spent on SC welfare and RS. 3,666 crore for ST welfare. The Chief Minister claimed that the State was first in the entire country to bring in such legislation exclusively for SCs and STs. He also announced loan waiver to SCs and STs amounting to Rs 268 crore.

Kiran Kumar Reddy said that Dalits would be given Rs 1 lakh and tribal people Rs 1 .05 lakh for construction of houses. He criticised the Opposition for not showing any sincerity or commitment on the Sub-Plan. He said that the Telugu Desam president Chandrababu Naidu had lost credibility and the people were in no mood to trust him again. He appealed to the people to vote for the Congress Party again in 2014 general elections if the SC & ST Sub-Plan had to be implemented effectively.

In his speech, PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana said that the credit for implementing the SC & ST Sub-Plan for the first time in the country goes to the Congress Party. He said that justice would be done to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes only under the Congress Government as the Congress was the only party striving for people's welfare.A The Congress party activists in the district were enthused by the Chief Minister's Dalita Baata after Indiramma Baata and said that it would immensely benefit them in the next elections.

The Chief Minister inaugurated a pylon on the occasion of formally launching the SC/ST Sub Plan implementation at Vegavaram village of Jagareddygudem mandal. On the occasion, the Chief Minister distributed solar lanterns to the beneficiaries and inaugurated solar lighting in the village.A He paid tributes to Babu Jagjivan Ram on the 106th birth anniversary by garlanding his statue in the village. He also announced various sops to the villagers.

Earlier, the Chief Minister, who arrived here by helicopter landed in Gurvaigudem village of Jangareddygudem mandal. He was accorded a grand welcome at the helipad. District in-charge Minister Kanna Lakshminarayana, ministers Vatti Vasanthakumar, Pithani Satyanarayana, Balaraju, MPs Bapi Raju, Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, MLAs, MLCs and other officials and non-officials welcomed the Chief Minister.

Takes part in community lunch

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy joined a community lunch with families of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes on the occasion of the 106th birth anniversary of former Deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Rama at the Vegavaram village of Jangareddygudem mandal in the West Godavari district on Friday.

He interacted with the one Velagleti Rambabu and his wife Gangabhavani. Rambabu told the Chief Minister that he was eking out his livelihood by rearing cattle and working as a watchman in a private company. The Chief Minister pulled up Ram Babu when the latter told him that he was the father of four girls. He asked him as to why he did not undergo vasectogamy operation after two children.

The Chief Minister said that he could educate his children well and prosper if he had a small family. He told Rambabu to educate his girls so that they could come up in life. He also directed the Joint Collector Dr T Baburao Naidu to provide a piece of government land to Rambabu's family. If government land was not available, purchase a piece of land and give it to the family, the Chief Minister told the Joint Collector. He also took down the phone number and address of Rambabu. Rambabu's family was overjoyed by the action of the Chief Minister.

PCC President and Transport Minister Botsa Satyanarayana who was also present on the occasion, interacted with the poor families of scheduled castes.