District collectors to identify genuine beneficiaries for BC Artisans Scheme

 Hyderabad: District collectors have been asked to identify genuine beneficiaries for providing the Rs 1 lakh government cheques for those pursuing various vocations from the Backward Communities in Telangana state.  

The BC welfare department has introduced the scheme for providing financial assistance to BC families to “protect” their community vocations. Officials have launched an online portal seeking applications from eligible candidates for getting the Rs 1 lakh financial assistance.

A video conference with district collectors was held at the secretariat by BC welfare minister Gangula Kamalakar and chief secretary Shanti Kumari at the Secretariat on Wednesday.

The collectors were directed to make necessary arrangements for organising the 'Samkshema Dinotsvam' on June 9 as part of the Telangana Rashtra Dasabdhi Avatarna Utsavalu. The collectors were asked to facilitate at least 50 units on that day.

''The chief minister will launch the programme at Mancherial, where he will personally give away the cheques to selected BC artisans. The government has envisaged this scheme to uplift the artisans and provide them with an economic model for development,” he said.

The minister advised the collectors to remain vigilant and not give any scope for misuse of the scheme.

Kamalakar said this would be an ongoing programme under which the beneficiaries will be identified and cheques distributed to them by the concerned MLAs on the 15th of every month.

The minister made it clear that these applications will be accepted only by online mode. He asked the collectors to initiate the second phase of the sheep distribution programme.

Finance minister T. Harish Rao, who attended the video conference from Sangareddy, asked the collectors to take utmost care in identifying the poorest of the poor artisans and extending the governmental help to them. The beneficiaries should be identified with the approval of the district in-charge minister, he said.

Local public representatives should also be involved in successfully organising the programme, Harish Rao said.

As per the scheme, the Rs 1 lakh sum must be utilized to purchase equipment, raw materials and tools. The application is designed in the Telugu language for filling in the online form. Applicants must fill in their details such as name as per Aadhar, profession, caste sub-caste, residential address, mobile number, bank account number etc and PAN details in the application form.

The applicant's age should be between 18 and 55 years. He or she must have a BC certificate, and the income ceiling is Rs 1.50 lakh for rural areas and Rs 2 lakh for urban applicants. The categories of BC-A, BC-B and BC-D are eligible.