Telangana govt sanctions Rs 6,000 crore for second phase of sheep distribution scheme
With sheep becoming costlier when compared with first phase in 2017, the CM approved proposals to hike the price
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Tuesday sanctioned Rs.6,000 crore for launching the second phase of sheep distribution scheme across the state. The first phase had cost Rs.5,000 crore.
He directed animal husbandry minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav and officials to start sheep distribution at the earliest, and finance minister T. Harish Rao to release the required funds. With sheep becoming costlier when compared with first phase in 2017, the CM approved proposals to hike the price from Rs.1.25 lakh to Rs.1.75 lakh per unit comprising 20 sheep and a ram.
The CM took the decisions at a review meeting at Pragathi Bhavan on ways to uplift BC communities.
He said that in the first phase, 3.74 lakh sheep units had been distributed, and 3.5 lakh units will be distributed in the second. The CM instructed that this price should be extended to the 14,000 eligible beneficiaries for the second phase who had already submitted their DDs to the government.
The CM said that the sheep distribution schemes for the Golla Kurumas and Yadavs communities abd fish distribution to the Mudiraj community had yielded wonderful results. The CM said the state had surpassed Rajasthan and had topped the sheep population in the country.
“After agriculture, handloom sector is the largest among the hereditary professions. The Padmashali community, which was given respect on par with Brahmins in the past, became a victim of starvation and suicide deaths in undivided AP,” the CM said.
“The handloom sector, which was driven to its deathbed by the indifferent attitude of the united AP rulers, is coming back to normalcy with the state government’s dedication and administrative skills of minister K.T. Rama Rao. The handloom sector is getting back on the rails now," the CM noted.
The CM said that communities which are dependent on agriculture such as Munnuru Kapu, carpenters, potters and blacksmiths, Gouds who are dependent on toddy tapping, Nayi Brahmins, washermen were given innovative schemes and programmes for their development.