Karimnagar: Doubting that the Congress government will not sanction the pending amount of the Dalit Bandhu benefit which was frozen, two beneficiaries of the Huzurabad constituency attempted suicide in the Karimnagar district.
The beneficiary couple identified as Gajula Amala and Praveen, the residents of Veenavanka mandal, were sanctioned Rs.5 lakhs of the total Rs.10 lakhs in the first phase under the Dalit Bandhu scheme by the previous BRS government and kept Rs. 5 lakhs pending.
The couple set up a photo studio in Huzurabad town by investing Rs.8 lakhs by taking a loan of Rs.3 lakh from private lenders, hoping that the pending amount of the benefit will be sanctioned soon. However, the due amount was not sanctioned after the government changed in the state, which caused the couple to worry over the repayment of the loan.
Unable to tolerate the pressure exerted by the money lenders and no signs of sanctioning the pending Dalit Bandhu benefit, by the Congress government, Amala attempted to end her life. However, her husband rushed her to the hospital where she was undergoing treatment.
In another incident that took place a few days ago in Kothapally village of Jammikunta mandal, Dalit Bandhu beneficiary Botikala Mogili tried to end his life. His wife Sarojana rescued him and shifted him to a private hospital with the help of locals where he was undergoing treatment.
With the Dalit Bandhu benefit of `5 lakhs sanctioned under the first phase in 2022, Mogili and Sarojana set up a DJ sound unit at Jammikunta by taking a loan of Rs.2 lakhs. Not able to repay the loan, Mogili attempted suicide.
Meanwhile, Huzurabad MLA Padi Koushik Reddy of the BRS alleged that the Congress government intentionally froze the bank accounts of the DB beneficiaries and was not releasing the amount allocated for the second phase of the scheme by the BRS government, pushing the beneficiaries into a hopeless state.
He demanded the government release the frozen funds of the second phase of DB as early as possible to avoid suicides. If the Congress government failed, he warned of massive agitation by beneficiaries.
