Welfare Schemes to Continue Despite Inherited Rs 7L-Cr Loans: Bhatti

 Khammam: In spite of loans of Rs 7 lakh crore brought by the BRS government, the Congress government is taking care of the poor by rolling out various welfare schemes and development programmes, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said.

Releasing the logo of Indira Women’s Dairy at Madhira, he said the BRS government had sent Telangana into Rs 7 lakh core indebtedness from a surplus budget state. The Congress government is striving to clear the debts of the state. At the same time, measures have been taken to ensure that implementation of welfare schemes and development programmes are not impacted by the financial crunch, he added.

He reminded that first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had accorded top priority to agriculture in the first five-year plan (Panchavarsha Pranalika) to put an end to starvation deaths in the country. As part of it, several irrigation projects were constructed and Nagarjuna Sagar Project was one of them. Farmers of Madhira Assembly constituency were getting irrigation facility through Nagarjuna Sagar Project, he added.

Indira Dairy was planned in 2011 with an aim to create additional income for farmers. Financial assistance would be extended to each member of Self help Groups (SHGs) in Madhira for purchase of two buffalos eacvh. About 20,000 women were enroled as members of Indira Dairy. It was expected that the dairy would produce 2.4 lakh liters of milk per day and generate business of Rs 25 crore per month. After launching production of curd, ghee and other milk based products, the turnover of Indira Dairy would increase to Rs 500 crore per annum, he added.

He said that financial assistance would be extended to the unemployed in five mandals of Madhira Assembly constituency for setting up fodder and packaging units through District Rural Development Agency. It was also planned to supply fodder to women SHGs at their doorsteps for their buffalos. An ambulance would also be allocated to Madhira by the animal husbandry department, he added.