CM to Ground Two Schemes in July, Calls for Transparent Selection of Beneficiaries

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has laid special focus on grounding two welfare schemes in July. The ruling party hopes to create a new “welfare vote bank” for the BRS in the upcoming Assembly elections.

The first scheme is implementation of the second phase of Dalit Bandhu for 1,100 families each in all 119 Assembly constituencies, except Huzurabad, while the second is extending Gruhalakshmi benefits to 300 beneficiaries in each Assembly constituency.

Keeping the upcoming elections in mind, which are just five months away, ruling party MLAs have initiated the process of accepting applications from people with an aim to derive political mileage in their respective constituencies.

Out of 119 Assembly constituencies in Telangana state, BRS represents 104 constituencies while the AIMIM seven, Congress five and BJP three. Even in constituencies held by the Congress and the BJP, BRS leaders are accepting applications cautioning people that the government will not consider applications submitted by incumbent MLAs, who belong to opposition parties.

Meanwhile, BRS legislators are playing a key role in the selection of beneficiaries despite Telangana High Court issuing orders last November that an MLA’s recommendation was not needed to select beneficiaries.

In-charge ministers of respective districts have been given powers to approve the final selection list. Following High Court orders, the government devised norms that selection committees headed by district collectors would identify beneficiaries. But the norms stipulate that the final selection list has to be approved by the district in-charge ministers.

Ruling party MLAs are exploiting this norm to their advantage and playing a key role in the selection of beneficiaries.

However, sources said that Rao has given strict instructions to his party MLAs to give no scope for corruption and other irregularities in identifying beneficiaries as it could damage prospects in the Assembly elections.

Towards this, MLAs and in-charge ministers are selecting beneficiaries in such a manner that it serves the political interests of the ruling party in the upcoming Assembly polls.