Telangana is forefront in Welfare Schemes

As 2015 winds up, it may be recalled that Telangana continuing its focus on welfare of weaker sections and development of agriculture and industries, it was unveiled the budget for 2015-16 with a total outlay of Rs.1,15,689 crores. Today, Telangana is the leading all the States in the Country in welfare schemes for poor and weaker sections.

During the year the welfare departments in the State have excelled to implement the welfare measures. About 60 percent of welfare measures that were to be taken up by Minorities, Social, Backward Classes, Women and Child Welfare Departments of the State government stand complete three months prior to the closing of the financial year.

On the welfare schemes and allocations, it was allocated a provision of Rs.1000 crore for the scheme of land purchase and assigning three acres to the SC women. This scheme was implemented with 100% subsidy and without any contribution from the beneficiaries and also without bank linkage. So far, about 3900 acres of private land and 260 acres of government land has been distributed covering 1550 beneficiaries at a cost about Rs.165 crores.With regard to skill development of the SC youth, training on technical skills is imparted with suitable placements. The total provision of the SC is Rs.5547.05crore.

The Scheduled Castes Development Department has outperformed itself in implementation of “Kalyanalakshmi scheme’ which is aimed to relieve the poor SC families from the financial distress at the time of their girl child marriage with financial assistance of Rs.51,000 is credited to the eligible bride account. So far about Rs.130 crore was credited to 25,471 SC families, which is five times more than 2014-15 of 5376 SC families.

The other welfare department Minorities Welfare department also outperformed when compared to the previous year, its Flagship programmes including Shaadi Mubarak, scholarships and financial assistance scheme and residential programmes for students, the department has already allotted close to 70 percent of its budget of 1,100 crore. But what gives the department an edge over others is the fact that it initiated three programmes which no other States have managed to do.

Starting from an attempt at modifying Wakf Board Act to giving it teeth to coming up with a total estimate of Wakf property. Recently, Telangana government has issued a budget of Rs.3.78 crore to study the social and economic conditions of minorities and to review the implementation of schemes for the welfare of minorities in the State; the government started doing what it had promised to do. The department had given a special focus on concerns of smaller communities among minorities including Sikhs and Parsis.

Striking a parallel, the Tribal Welfare Department has also implementing ‘Kalyanalakshmi’ scheme to alleviate financial distress in STs, a financial assistance of Rs.51,000/- per one ST unmarried girl is being sanctioned at the time of marriage. During the year 2015, it was proposed to cover about 15000 beneficiaries with an outlay. It also dwelt deep into its health care and financial support schemes. The department already fulfilled its commitment on detecting and aiding two lakh children with sickle cell anaemia. About 30 per cent of the rehabilitation process of tribals is underway at the grassroots level.

Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) was implemented in the State with 9.61% of plan allocation of total State Plan outlay and development works amounting Rs.4620 crores were being taken up for the benefit of Scheduled Tribes across the State. Under implementation of 1/70 act, so far about 30,000 LTR cases decided in favour of Tribal’s covering about 1,00,000 acres.

Government has been implemented several welfare, educational and economic development programmes for the welfare of the Backward Classes people. Backward Class Welfare Department’s biggest strength this year was to issue the highest number of scholarships to verified and certified students. Under this, so far about 7 lakh BC students were sanctioned the Post Matric Scholarships and Reimbursement of Tuition fee on saturation basis with an amount of about Rs 8000 crores during the year. Even about 94000, EBC students were also benefited under Reimbursement of Tuition fees with an amount of about Rs.250 crores. Now, the process is streamlined now and the State able to reach out to over 20 per cent of the students who were not covered last year.

In fact, the most sought after scheme this year in the welfare sector was Kalyana Laxmi scheme meant to support women of poor socio-economic background with a onetime grant to aid wedding.

Looking ahead, most departments should just pull up their socks to complete 20 percent of targets lagging a bit more than others. All welfare departments have worked extra hard this year to complete their assigned targets.