Unequivocal empowerment

Telangana Chief Minister, K Chandrashekhar Rao has come up with yet another innovative and revolutionary empowerment scheme called the Dalit Bandhu Scheme which is bound to change the life and financial status of Dalits in Telangana forever. In the long run, it will become a model for other states to emulate, which would be left with no alternative except to adopt the same. The scheme, which will be introduced on a pilot basis from Huzurabad assembly constituency in Telangana, could herald a sea change in the lives of Dalits and become a torchbearer for Dalit empowerment elsewhere in the country.

As the old adage goes: 'Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime'. This is what exactly CM KCR is doing. He is giving the DBT cash required for the Dalit families to start a business of their own so that they can become traders, businessmen, service sector operators etc. to make themselves economically self-reliant and live with dignity which will ensure freedom for them from all sorts of discrimination they have been facing to date.

Telangana Dalit Bandhu scheme will help Dalits define their own development and become partners in the process of development. The scheme has three factors — monitoring the implementation of the scheme, evaluation of the results, and creating a security fund for the beneficiaries through government's participation.

Dalit Bandhu is not just a government's welfare programme but also a massive people's movement, aimed at empowering each Dalit family financially. It can be compared to Telangana statehood agitation initiated and led by KCR with an aim to have a separate Telangana state, which was eventually achieved.

Ambedkar had shown the path for Dalit empowerment and their rightful status in society. CM KCR, who studied the subject as part of the Centre for Subaltern Studies, understood the problem and found solutions. He realised that if Dalits are economically empowered, they would be away from any discrimination. He has been upset that Dalits who have the talent and skills are kept away from the production sector in the name of untouchability. He is also upset that women are confined to the non-productive sector because of existing gender bias.

CM KCR has carefully and innovatively defined, designed and developed the scheme so that it helps Dalits come out of their weak economic situation and directly get into earning money through legal means in a dignified way. In the sectors where there is an ample opportunity to get financially developed — such as fertilizer shops, medical shops, rice mills, wine shops etc. — the government will provide reservations for Dalits. With the Rs 10 lakh per family assistance, Dalits could establish themselves without any support from the banks or other such institutions.

Under the scheme, Dalits can set up their choice of business such as power tiller, harvester, paddy planting machine, autos, tractors, poultry, tent house, dairy industry, oil mill, grinding mill, cement and bricks businesses, industry, hotel, steel, cement and construction material shops, photography, videography, mobile phone shops, mobile tiffin centres, hotels, cloth emporium, furniture shops etc.

Under the scheme, Dalit Security Fund is also being set up on a permanent basis with the government and beneficiary participation. This fund will be managed by District Collectors with a committee of beneficiaries. Every year, a minimum amount will be deposited and it will be continued regularly to further help Dalits become financially strong.

The scheme envisaged Rs 1,200 crore for assisting as many as 11,900 families in 119 assembly segments. The plan is to allot Rs 1,500 crore to Rs 2,000 crore in addition to Rs 1,000 crore budgetary allocation under the scheme. In the coming four to five years, the government aims to spend around Rs 45,000 crore on the implementation of the scheme and help Dalits achieve financial freedom. If necessary, the government is even prepared to spend up to Rs one lakh crore.

Like the Rythu Bandhu Scheme, beneficiaries of the Dalit Bandhu Scheme would also get the assistance amount directly into their bank accounts. This would be done by profiling Dalit families. Since the issues faced by Dalits are not uniform and differ across rural, semi-urban and urban areas, classification will be done along these categories to implement the Dalit Bandhu Scheme properly.

To track, monitor and supervise the implementation of the scheme, CM KCR put the technology to its best use. Identity cards for Dalit Bandhu beneficiaries will have an electronic chip inserted for each beneficiary. The transactions will be monitored through a bar code.

In the Huzurabad constituency, 20,929 families — Huzurabad Mandal (5,323 families), Kamalapuram Mandal (4,346 families), Veenavankamandal (3,678 families), Jammikunta Mandal (4,996 families), Illanthagunta Mandal (2586 families) — would be scrutinized for selection of the beneficiaries. For the eligible Dalit families, according to the guidelines, Dalit Bandhu Scheme would be implemented in the saturation mode.

The light emanating from the success of the scheme in Huzurabad will spread not only in Telangana but countrywide. As the CM said, "Inspiration should begin somewhere. Huzurabad is becoming the one and people there should feel proud of it". He said, rising over the party, ideology and other differences, that everyone should work for the success of the scheme without any fights or differences. If Dalits get victory in Huzurabad and subsequently create awareness all over the state then it will be an exemplary action. If Dalit Bandhu Scheme is successful, the development of Dalits will be ensured. The Huzurabad victory of Dalit Bandhu will be etched permanently in the history of the country.

With inputs from VJM Divakar. The writer is the Chief Public Relations Officer to the CM of Telangana. Views expressed are personal