Hyderabad: Alleging irregularities in allotment of Dalit Bandhu scheme units, women from Dalit community staged a protest in front of the gram panchayat office in Dharmapuri mandal of Jagtial on Wednesday.
The protestors condemned the sarpanch and the MPTC for allocating the scheme benefits to the undeserving. They said that the Dalit Bandhu scheme had been “changed to BRS Bandhu” and demanded that the names of the ineligible be removed from the list of beneficiaries.
Unfair selection process
The protestors alleged that only relatives and family members of public representatives were selected as beneficiaries. They demanded that the names be included in the beneficiary list after verifying if they truly deserve it.
However, the public representatives told protestors that the name of every eligible person in the village was included in the list and there was no need to worry.
Nevertheless, the protestors insisted on the announcement of their names regardless of the assurance. When the protestors refused to settle, the police intervened and dispersed the crowd.
On Wednesday, a large number of Dalits from Kamlapur mandal of Karimnagar district took out a rally alleging irregularities in the scheme.
BRS faces criticism
Dalit Bandhu in Telangana is a welfare programme designed to support entrepreneur endeavours of underprivileged Dalit families. Through this scheme, the state government distributes Rs 10 lakh to each Dalit household.
The BRS government has been facing widespread criticism for alleged irregularities in the selection of beneficiaries for its Dalit Bandhu scheme.
In August 2023, Dalits in Medak accused the selection process of being driven by commissions demanded by ruling party members. They said that ineligible people who are financially settled were being selected as beneficiaries.
BRS members ‘demand commission’
In Gajwel, protesters resorted to burning effigies of sarpanches, MPTCs, and the chief minister during a protest against the alleged irregularities.
Moreover, Kondapaka mandal has been witnessing regular demonstrations by Dalits. It was alleged that the local public representatives demanded Rs 1 lakh each for selection under the scheme.
In the past, a four-day protest was staged demanding that land, jobs and property be rightfully allocated to impoverished Dalits of the Ankireddypally district.
Dalits were also learned to have protested in the Patancheru constituency regarding the same issue.
In its first phase of the scheme, the authorities had decided to select 100 beneficiaries in each Assembly constituency. The number was increased to 1200 after the second phase.
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