KCR unveils plan to hold mega Dalit meet

Hyderabad: Chief Minister and BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao will blow the poll bugle with a mammoth public meeting of over five lakh Dalits at Hyderabad on April 14, the day when he would unveil the tallest statue of Dr BR Ambedkar. Prominent Dalit leaders from across the country will be invited for the event. This was decided at the Cabinet meeting held here on Thursday. The key decisions taken by the Cabinet are to move the Supreme Court seeking directions to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to clear the 10 pending bills immediately, launch of Gruhalakshmi scheme, Podu land distribution, construction of Telangana guests houses in Kashi in Uttar Pradesh and Sabarimala in Kerala.

Briefing the media, Finance and Health minister Harish Rao said the three mega structures – Ambedkar statue, State Secretariat and martyrs' memorial which were under construction on the banks of Hussain Sagar lake will be inaugurated before the Telangana Formation Day on June 2.

He said under the Gruhalakshmi scheme, 4 lakh plot owners will get Rs 3 lakh cash benefit in three instalments to build their houses in respective villages and towns. This will help 3000 beneficiaries in each Assembly segment. He said Rs 12,000 crore for the housing scheme has been allocated in the budget 2023-24.

Harish Rao said a team of ministers and officials will soon visit Kashi and Sabarimala to identify suitable lands to construct Telangana guest houses.

The Cabinet also took decision to waive off Rs 4,000 crore bank loans taken by the beneficiaries for housing in the united Andhra Pradesh.

The Cabinet approved the sanction of Dalit Bandhu scheme for 1.30 lakh families under the second phase this year. The District Collectors have been given powers to finalise the scheme beneficiaries and organize Dalit Bandhu Day on August 16 across the state.

Rs 4,463 crore will be spent on the sheep distribution programme this year. Out of 7.31 lakh identified beneficiaries, 50 per cent of them had already availed the scheme benefit. The scheme will be executed from April and complete by August this year.

The Cabinet also gave its nod to extend the time to the regularization of the occupied land by poor under GO 58 and 59 by another month. He said that 1.45 lakh applicants were benefitted under GO 58 and 45,000 pending applications have been cleared under GO 59 till date. Harish Rao said the Cabinet also decided to buy paddy from the farmers from April this year.

The Chief Minister directed his ministers and MPs to rush to Delhi and participate in the Dharna at Jantar Mantar following which they reached Delhi late on Thursday night.