Only eight years into its birth and the state of Telangana has shown impressive growth, while a slew of welfare measures has immensely benefited the general population.
The latest in the welfare measures is a scheme for Dalits, called the ‘Dalit Bandhu Scheme’, which was launched to take Dalit families from their present situation to higher levels.
The Karimnagar District, under the leadership of its DM, R.V. Karnan, has been at the forefront of implementing this scheme in the Huzurabad Assembly constituency, resulting in a success rate of 95 per cent.
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Karnan shared details about the successful implementation of the scheme in his district.
DALIT BANDHU SCHEME
Even after 75 years of Independence, Dalits continue to face social and economic hardships. To alleviate their conditions, the CM of Telangana held a brainstorming session with several leaders and economists, and the outcome was the announcement of the Dalit Bandhu scheme in 2021.
The programme calls for providing each Dalit household with the one-time financial assistance of Rs. 10 lakhs. They were expected to launch a business or acquire a piece of property that generates ongoing income. Telangana has 17 lakh Dalit families, while Huzurabad, where the scheme was first introduced, has 19,000 Dalit households. The government decided to gradually cover all Dalit families with an annual budget of Rs. 30,000 to 40,000 crores.
Explaining in detail, Mr. Karnan said, “It started as a pilot project in our district where we provided around 18,000 Dalit families with Rs. 10 lakhs. This money was transferred to the special Dalit Bandhu bank accounts of each family. The main feature is that, neither can they withdraw cash from these accounts, nor can they use ATM or Net Banking, but they can transfer money to third parties with our approval.”
Whenever someone files a plan for a small business or industrial setup, the administration approves it, and the funds get transferred to the third party selling the machinery, car, or equipment. Additionally, it allows the administration to monitor the funding allocated for their well-being.
ASSISTING WITH VOCATIONS
The Dalit community was encouraged by the district administration to take advantage of the programme and put their lives on track. They were counselled and informed of the significance of the plan and how it will assist them in building a better future for themselves, during a training programme organised especially for them.
Over 95 different professions were chosen as part of the programme, and these are approved based on the skills of the beneficiaries. Women chose to open computerised sewing units, beauty salons, and grocery stores, among other things, while some chose to buy tractors and harvesters, milch animals, or both. The administrators made every effort to create group units so that the plan could be sustained through shared accountability.
“We have covered over 90 per cent of the community and are proud to claim that we achieved a 95 per cent success rate. We began in Aug 2021, and today, we have completed the grooming of all the families. We have seen so many people who have literally gone from rags to riches. Once upon a time, they used to work as labourers in industrial units; today they are the proud owners of their own enterprises. They are providing wage employment to others as well,” Mr. Karnan told Indian Masterminds.
SUCCESSFUL PROJECT
The project has had a tremendous impact and has thrown up many success stories in the neighbourhood. Till a year ago, people had to fend for themselves, but now they are proud owners of their own enterprises and leading lives that they had only dreamt of earlier.
The Dalit Bandhu scheme is considered to be the world’s largest direct benefit transfer scheme and it has really empowered the Dalit community of Telangana. We present before you a list of people who have successfully shifted to their new vocation, thanks to the scheme:
