Telangana HC notice to CS on Dalit Bandhu beneficiaries' selection

 HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the state government in a PIL, which complained against the government’s directions to district collectors to identify beneficiaries for the dalit bandhu scheme, in consultation with public representatives in Assembly constituencies.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T. Vinod Kumar, directed the chief secretary and the principal secretary and commissioner of SC welfare and development department to respond to the PIL.

A PIL was filed by a private employee in a software company K. Akhil Sri Guru Teja, challenging the impugned proceedings of the government vide GO Ms. No. 8 (24 June 2023) by directing the district collectors to identify 11000 SC families in each Assembly constituency as beneficiaries of the dalit bandhu scheme, in consultation with the local public representatives.  The scheme provides poor SC families with financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh.

The petitioner submitted that the provision was illegal and arbitrary as there were chances of large-scale discrimination and favoritism.  He requested the court to direct the government to invite applications from the poor SC families and identify the beneficiaries through the draw of lots system.