Dalit Bandhu beneficiaries stage protest with pesticide bottles in TS\' Huzurabad

KARIMNAGAR:  A tense atmosphere prevailed when the beneficiaries of the Dalit Bandhu Scheme (DBS) of various mandals of the Huzurabad constituency staged a protest with the pesticide bottles in their hands with the intention of committing suicide here in front of the collectorate in Karimnagar on Monday.

Alleging that the officials are not sanctioning the money to them under the scheme, around hundreds of beneficiaries attended the grievance day programme and sat in front of the podium when the officials were receiving the grievances from the people demanding the officials to resolve their issue.

The beneficiaries said that in the beginning, the officials deposited Rs 9.9 lakh into the bank accounts under the Dalit Bandhu scheme, but later held the amount. When the officials concerned were questioned, they said that the amount would be released within a week. But even after completing more than ten months, they did not sanction the amount.

Even after submitting the applications for sanctioning of Dalit Bandhu scheme amount for more than 15 times, the Mandal Parishad Development Officers (MPDO) concerned are not sending the applications to the district headquarters, they pointed out.

Some of the beneficiaries from Jammikunta mandal alleged that even though they had produced all the certificates required and were eligible for the Dalit Bandhu scheme, the officials who initially included their names in the list and sanctioned the amount, have kept them in the block list. The issue was also brought to the notice of the district collector, R.V. Karnan, who assured them that he would pursue their issue and would try to resolve it, but in vain.

One of the beneficiaries of Illanthakunta mandal alleged that by seeing the amount that was sanctioned under the scheme for her, she took some amount from a private money lender and opened a cloth store. Now, she is facing hardships as she is unable to pay the interest and the officials are not sanctioning the money under the scheme.

Meanwhile, the police who rushed to the spot intervened and prevented the beneficiaries from taking extreme steps. However, the beneficiaries withdrew their protest after the officials gave them assurance of sanctioning of the scheme as early as possible.