10 Years of Telangana: Golden era of welfare schemes by government that cares

HYDERABAD: “No discrimination, justice for all in Telangana,” Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao assured the weaker sections and minorities at a public meeting in Nirmal on June 4, 2023. His statement sums up in a nutshell, the Telangana government’s welfare schemes covering every single aspect of the lives of hitherto neglected sections of the society.

After the formation of the state, the government decided to play the role of a son, a big brother, and a maternal uncle for the needy, irrespective of their caste or creed. In other words, the government will provide a helping hand by becoming ‘Aasara’ to the needy.

Aasara pensions, a true friend in need

The Telangana state government considered it a social responsibility to provide support to the ten different sections that require financial assistance.

Unlike the former TDP government’s Rs 75 per month pension and the Congress government’s Rs 200 per month, the Telangana government has been providing Rs 2,016 pension per month.

In ten years (2004-14), the previous governments allocated only Rs 5,558 crores for pensions in the combined state. After the formation of a separate state, in nine years the Telangana government has spent Rs 58,696 crore.

Old age pensions.

The Telangana government has been supporting all elderly people above 57 years of age who were suffering from health ailments, poverty, and economic insecurity. The total number of old age pensions was 16, 44,280. So far Rs 18,555.71 crore has been spent by the government on old-age pensioners.

Pensions to widows

Telangana government has been supporting widows with Rs 2016 monthly pension. The number of beneficiaries in the state was 15,85,088. The government has paid Rs 20,556 crore towards widow pensions.

Pensions for single women

As many as 1,43,930 women receive Rs 2,016 pension each. The government has so far paid Rs 1545 .80 crore as pensions to single women.

Pensions to beedi workers

The Telangana government has been providing a pension of Rs 2016 per month to 4,25,793 workers, mostly women who are making a living by wrapping beedis. The government has paid Rs 5712.30 crore for beedi workers.

Pensions for the differently abled

The government has paid Rs 10,310.36 crore for 5,16,890 differently abled in the form of pensions. They received Rs 3016 per month pension for eight years.

Pensions for filaria victims

Filaria victims also receive Rs 2016 pension per month. The state government has been providing pensions to 18,644 Filaria victims of the state. A total of Rs 161.84 crore has been distributed till June 2, 2023

Pension for toddy tappers

In all 67,048 toddy tappers receive Rs 2016 pension each, every month. During the last nine years, the government has paid Rs 880.45 crore towards the pension for toddy tappers.

Pension for weavers

The government has been supporting weavers. More than 38,240 weavers in the state received Rs 2,016 each every month. The government has paid Rs 518.58 crore for handloom workers till June 2, 2023.

Pension for renal patients

The state government has been providing a pension of Rs. 2016 per month to 4,507 people suffering from kidney problems and receiving dialysis. Through the scheme started in 2022, the government has spent Rs. 2.67 crore.

Pension for HIV AIDS patients

The state government has been providing Rs 2016 pension to 37,005 HIV victims in the state. Rs 411.80 crore has been disbursed for HIV victims.

Pension to artists

Telangana government accorded top importance to Telangana culture and literary arts. 1967 eligible artists across the state were given Rs 3016 per month. Rs 49.30 crore has been paid.

Kalyana Lakshmi: Putting an end to child marriages

In poor families, a daughter’s marriage was considered a costly affair. Poverty also forces several families to opt for inhuman and illegal female foeticide. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has taken steps to banish discrimination of girl children from society, by taking away the financial pressure on the parents and by inculcating positive feeling that a girl child means Goddess Lakshmi.

Under the Kalyana Lakshmi scheme for the SC, ST, BC, and EBC communities and the ‘Shadi Mubarak’ scheme for the minorities, Rs 1,00,116 financial assistance to each beneficiary has been provided. In the period of eight years, more than Rs 11,130 crore has been spent under the Kalyana Lakshmi scheme for 12,71,839 poor families.

The Kalyana Lakshmi scheme implemented by the government yielded two-pronged results. Child marriages which were 56 percent between 2011-2014, reduced substantially during the period 2014-2023.

Creation of wealth through sheep rearing

To revive the rural profession of sheep rearing the state government launched a programme for ‘Yadavas’. The scheme offers a 75 percent subsidy for the sheep rearers to purchase high meat quality sheep. Chief Minister started the sheep distribution programme on June 20, 2017, in Kondapaka village of the Gajwel constituency which he represents.

Each unit contains 20 sheep and one Ram. Out of the total cost of the unit (Rs 1.25 lakh), 25 percent (Rs 31,250) was shared by the beneficiary and the remaining 75 percent (Rs 93,750) was provided by the government.

The government and the ‘Golla Kurumas’ together have spent Rs 5,000 crores. With these funds, the state government distributed a total of 82, 64,592 sheep to 3, 93,552 people. Those sheep gave birth to another 1.32 crore lambs, creating a wealth of more than Rs 7, 920 crores.

Helping the poor to pursue overseas education

Under the Dr BR Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi scheme, the government has distributed Rs 179.92 crores benefitting 1031 students belonging to weaker sections who wish to study in foreign universities.

The government also increased the scholarship from Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 20 lakhs. Similarly, the annual income limit has been enhanced from Rs 2 lakhs to Rs 5 lakhs.

In addition to educational institutions in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and Singapore, five more countries (France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand & South Korea) have been permitted by the government. During the current fiscal Rs 64 crores was allocated under this scheme.