‘Land to Dalit’ scheme launch in TS on I-Day

Hyderabad: Telangana State government is all set to launch ‘3-acre land to each Dalit family’ on Independence Day.

The administration is understood to have decided to distribute lands in 98 villages initially, barring Hyderabad and some part of Ranga Reddy district. Further directions were given to select one village from 98 constituencies.

Meanwhile, the government estimated that the landless Dalits in Telangana State were not more than two lakh. Although a previous survey by SERP (Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty) put the figure at 3 lakh, a re-survey ordered by the TRS government showed that SERP list included Dalits, who already possessed half-an-acre of land.

The government already released Rs 5 crore for each district to implement the scheme. Directions were given to the district authorities to purchase lands by spending between Rs 2 and Rs 7 lakh an acre wherever government lands were not sufficient for distribution. The officials were told to identify lands of the farmers who left for cities and initiate negotiations with them for buying such farms. The officials identified government lands in 40 villages spreading across 40 constituencies for distribution to the Dalit families.

The government sought the help of the leaders of the Dalits at mandal and village level to identify deserving beneficiaries. The government also directed the district officials to ensure that the beneficiaries are given aid to irrigate their lands for the first year after distribution of the farm.