Ponnam: Congress Committed to Kalyana Lakshmi, Shaadi Mubarak
The Minister said the government was releasing funds for the schemes through the green channel and would take all necessary steps to ensure that poor families continued to benefit from them
Hyderabad: Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Monday said the Congress government was committed to implement the Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak schemes and accused the BRS of “shedding crocodile tears” over the issue.
He said the government was releasing funds for the schemes through the green channel and would take all necessary steps to ensure that poor families continued to benefit from them.
Prabhakar said a petition had been filed in the Telangana High Court challenging eight Government Orders (GOs) issued so far in connection with the Kalyana Lakshmi scheme. The court had issued interim orders staying the scheme, he said, adding that the government would appeal against the order before the Division Bench and hoped for a favourable verdict.
The Minister attributed the legal complications to “defective” GOs issued by the previous government in 2014. He said the present government would soon rectify the shortcomings and ensure that the schemes continued without interruption.
Prabhakar also said the government was examining whether the failure to file a counter affidavit in the case was due to a lapse by officials or those handling the government’s legal matters. Action would be taken against those found responsible, he said.
He pointed out that Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak were welfare schemes aimed at reducing the financial burden on poor families during the marriage of their daughters. Though introduced in 2014 by the previous government, the Congress government was continuing the schemes irrespective of political considerations, he said.
According to government figures, Rs.16,375.87 crore has been spent under the schemes so far, benefiting 16,78,347 people. The Minister said the schemes were welfare measures and were not intended to enforce any law.
He said the State government had the constitutional authority under Article 162 to formulate and implement welfare schemes through executive orders within its jurisdiction.
