Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday said that the state government wants an all-round development of the Backward Classes, who constitute more than half of the state’s population.
He urged BC public representatives from all political parties to make recommendations to the government about the various measures that should be taken to improve the living standards of BCs.
Mr Rao announced that the government was committed to implement any action plan prepared by the BC public representatives for the upliftment and betterment of the communities. He said the government had already implemented several programmes for the development and welfare of the BCs.
But some more measures needed to be taken to improve the standard of living of the Backward Classes, the CM felt.
The CM wanted the public representatives to consult all the communities amongst the BCs and then make recommendations.
He specifically wanted the public representatives to suggest how BC Finance Commission and MBC Corporation should function and how to plan the self-employment schemes better.
The CM said the government is ready to issue the necessary GOs, instructions, and pass Acts in accordance with the recommendations given by the BC public representatives.
He said his government had no qualms about rectifying any mistakes in the existing policies.
He also said that in developed countries, once a policy was made it remained permanent, even if there was a change in governance but unfortunately this was not the case in our country and this was the lacunae.
The CM wanted the policies, schemes, measures to be prepared in such a manner that nobody would be able to change them in the future. The CM had held a meeting with the BC MPs, MLAs, MLCs at the Committee Hall in the Legislative Assembly.
“Before the formation of the state there were only 19 residential schools for the BCs. We have set up 123 residential schools providing quality education to 91,520 students,” Mr Rao said.
“We are implementing Kalyan Laxmi scheme for the BCs. With the introduction of reservations in the market committees, 50 per cent of the BCs has chance of becoming the chairmen of Committees. The pension scheme for the Beedi Workers has helped the people from the BC communities especially the Padmashalis. We have formed MBC Finance Commission for the most backward BCs and have prepared schemes to offer financial assistance through MBC without any linkage to the banks,” the CM said.
“We are encouraging hereditary professions among BCs. We have launched the distribution of sheep with 75 per cent subsidy. In four months, 29.50 lakh sheep were distributed. The distributed sheep have given birth to 10 lakh baby sheep. So far sheep has been distributed among 1.41 lakh families and the target is to distribute to 7.30 lakh families. We have started the distribution of fishlings with 100 percent subsidy. We are launching schemes and programmes for the fishermen with a Rs 5,000 crore budget. We will give the necessary help to the washermen too. We will give financial assistance to the Nayi Brahmins to launch their hair dressing saloons. We will be granting Rs 250 crore to Viswa Brahmins too,” the CM said.
