Scores of BCs benefitting from Telangana schemes:Harish Rao

SIDDIPET: Telangana Finance and Health Minister T Harish Rao has said that Backward Classes are achieving holistic development by making the best use of the schemes brought by the State Government under the leadership of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR).

At a programme organised by the BC Welfare Association in Gajwel Assembly Constituency in Siddipet district on Friday, Harish Rao distributed BC Bandhu scheme cheques to 351 beneficiaries. “The welfare schemes brought by the State Government are aimed at strengthening the caste-based professions. Every village in Telangana is self-sufficient and is achieving progress on all fronts,” Harish Rao said.

The minister said that the objective of the scheme was to encourage and provide financial assistance to caste-based professions. “Earlier Governments have given financial assistance to BCs but as loans. People faced a harrowing time getting a surety for loans from the banks. After the BRS Government came to power, KCR came up with the initiative of providing Rs 1 lakh assistance to the BCs without any surety and documentation,” he said.

Harish Rao said that the KCR Government was successfully continuing the programme of distributing sheep to the Yadavs with a 75 per cent subsidy, with a determination to bring jobs to the rural professions and improve the economy. Apart from that, the efforts taken by the State Government made Telangana achieve a top position in meat production in the country, he said.

Highlighting the initiative being taken by the State Government for the upliftment of BCs, Harish Rao said that the Government was providing a free 100 per cent subsidy to the fishermen to raise the fish in ponds to develop the fishing industry in Telangana, besides creating employment for those directly and indirectly dependent on the sector. In addition to that, the State Government was also providing accident insurance for toddy tappers, handloom weavers and fishermen. Apart from canceling the tax on palm trees for the Goud community, the Government had also waived the old arrears and increased the license tenure to 10 years from existing five years, he said.

The minister said that before the formation of Telangana, there were only 19 BC Gurukuls and 7,580 students pursued education in them. Now, after the formation of the State, the total number of BC Gurukuls had been increased to 310. Among them, 33 schools and 15 degree colleges were established during 2022-23. Apart from that, 119 junior colleges were upgraded in which around 1.81 lakh students were pursuing their education, he said.