Dalit Bandhu to have legal backing

The Cabinet on Sunday decided to give statutory backing to Dalit Bandhu programme of the government by enacting a legislation. The programme will be launched on a pilot basis in Huzurabad on August 16

The Cabinet on Sunday decided to give statutory backing to Dalit Bandhu programme of the government by enacting a legislation. The programme will be launched on a pilot basis in Huzurabad on August 16. Just as a legislation was passed for SC Development Fund in the past and budget allotted for it with a provision that the balance of money will not lapse but carried forward to the next year, the Cabinet felt the need for a similar Act for Dalit Bandhu. Speaking at the meeting, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said the economic backwardness of SCs was worse than STs with land holding of only 13 lakh acres throughout the State. Therefore, the government decided to empower SCs by sanctioning entrepreneurship units of ₹ 10 lakh each. There was no bank linkage to money sanctioned as it would amount to repayment burden to beneficiaries.