TRS Govt not serious on Dalit welfare: Congress

Hyderabad, April 14 (INN): The Telangana Congress leaders have accused the TRS Government of completely neglecting the welfare of Dalits in Telangana State.

Addressing a meeting at Gandhi Bhavan on the occasion of birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar here on Tuesday, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that the State Government was not giving any importance to the growth and development of SCs in the State. He said that the Dalits have been facing humiliation and discrimination under the TRS regime. Recalling the steps taken by the previous Congress Government for the welfare of Dalits, he hoped that the golden days would return for the Dalits of Telangana after his party returns to power in the State.

Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir said that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has openly cheated the Dalits of Telangana. If KCR would have honoured his words, then Dr Ambedkar's birth anniversary this year would have been celebrated under a Dalit CM. He also slammed the government for not implementing the SC, ST Sub-Plan. Disclosing statistics, he said of Rs 7,579.45 crore SC Sub-Plan for 2014-15, only Rs 2,733.45 crore or 36.06% was spent. Similarly, of Rs 2,799 Crore allocated for SC Welfare, only Rs 1,282 Cr or 45.08% was released.

Shabbir Ali said that the Chief Minister was not sincere towards any community in Telangana. For instance, he said of Rs 4,404 Cr ST Sub-Plan, only Rs 1267 Cr or just 28.76% was spent. Likewise, of Rs 1,238 Crore allocated for Tribal Welfare, only Rs 932 Cr or 75.28% was spent. Similarly, of Rs 1,840 Crore allocated for BC Welfare, only Rs 1,414 Crore or 76.85% was released in the year 2014-15. The minorities too were given a raw deal and of Rs 1,030 Crore allocation, only Rs 438 Crore or 42.52% were released. He said that KCR did not honour the promise of carrying foward the unused funds in the next financial year.

The Congress leader said that KCR has no respect for BCs which was evident from the fact that he skipped the Jyotiba Phule birth anniversary celebrations on April 11. He also slammed the TRS Government for not making any representation to the National Commission for Backward Classes during its three-day visit to Hyderabad. He said many BC castes, including 14 castes of Muslims under BC-E, deserve to be included in the Central List. But the TRS Government did not make any representation in that regard.

Other Congress leaders including AICC Secretary RC Khuntia, TPCC Working President Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Madhu Yashki Goud, Mallu Ravi and others also addressed the meeting.