Dalita Bandhu to start from Huzurabad ahead of bypoll
The Hindu
The scheme for financial empowerment of SCs will have budget of ₹ 1,000 crore a year and benefit 8 lakh families
The State government has decided to kick-start Dalita Bandhu, the ambitious Dalit empowerment scheme aimed at providing financial assistance to Dalit (Scheduled Caste) families for making them financially self-sufficient. Huzurabad constituency, represented by former Minister Eatala Rajender, had been selected for implementation of the pilot project. A release from the Chief Minister’s Office said the constituency had been selected in view of the fact that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had kick-started several of the welfare schemes from the district. The district had been the starting point for intensified separate Statehood agitation with the TRS holding the ‘Telangana Simha Garjana’ which culminated in the formation of the separate State. The prestigious Rythu Bandhu which several States have emulated was also started from Karimnagar district and hence, selection of Huzurabad for implementation of the pilot project of the Dalit empowerment scheme.The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.