Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao working on sops for upper caste poor

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has been working on devising welfare schemes for the poor among the upper castes. Modalities on eligibility norms are being worked out and Mr Rao is expected to announce the schemes soon.

The government has a slew of welfare schemes that cover people from the BCs, SCs, STs and minority communities costing Rs 40,000 crore. The government also has general schemes like fee reimbursement, ration and Kalyana Lakshmi for which the income limit is the criterion.

In the pipeline for the poor from the upper castes including the Reddy and Kamma communities are residential schools, colleges, hostels, scholarships, subsidies for self-employment schemes and finance corporations.

The government has already set up the Brahmin Corporation to assist the poor from the community in education and self-employment.

“The CM has been discussing these schemes for the past one month. Meetings are being held with senior leaders and officials to devise the modalities,” said a TRS source.

Mr Rao feels that the upper caste poor were feeling left out. “This is not good for us or society. Why should we get a bad name when we are spending over Rs 40,000 crore on welfare schemes,” Mr Rao was quoted as saying. “We should extend these schemes to the poor among upper castes. We should not feel it as a financial burden though it may cost another Rs 10,000 crore.”

IT minister K.T. Rama Rao and MP K. Kavitha have been dropping hints about such schemes. "CM will soon announce good news for the poor among upper castes. They will get all the benefits on par with others," Mr Rama Rao had said.