Assembly passes demands

Cong walks out over payments to housing beneficiaries

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Assembly on Wednesday passed demands under the heads of Housing, Social Welfare, Women and Child Development, BC welfare, SC and ST and Minority Welfare. The main Opposition party, Congress, was not present in the House. The House voted the demands in even as Congress members staged a walk-out dissatisfied by the Minister's reply as to when the bills to about 4.69 lakh beneficiaries of Indiramma Housing would be paid.

Congress member G Chinna Reddy, who raised the issue, and other Congress members, were not happy with the reply by Housing Minister A Indrakaran Reddy’s that a time-frame for payment of bills cannot be given as Housing scheme is under CID enquiry following charges of corruption and Chief Minister K Chanrashekhar Rao would take a decision after the CID submitted its probe report. Chinna Reddy argued that the government cannot take refuge under the plea that the CID inquiry was still going on.

The inquiry was continuing for the last nine months and the same cannot go on for an indefinite period of time. He added that the poor had borrowed money to build houses in anticipation that the government would reimburse the money. But the payment of bills was getting delayed, he said. Giving clarifications, Housing Minister Indrakaran Reddy said the government would make all efforts to provide two-bedroom houses to all eligible poor people within the next five years.

He informed the House that 7, 078 eligible beneficiaries were identified in Nalgonda, Warangal land Mahabubnagar districts. The housing was planned in the format of ground floor plus first floor (G+1) and G+2. Responding to Congress member J. Geetha Redy’s demand, Indrakaran said the Chief Minister was seized of the matter relating to implementation of ‘Bangaru Talli’ scheme, which envisaged financial assistance to girl child.

Increase in allowance for inmates of SC hostels likely

Giving clarifications on demands raised by members, Legislative Affairs Minister T Harish Rao, who is in-charge of SC and ST welfare, said a proposal to double the allowance for cosmotics given to boys and girls in social welfare hostels was with the Chief Minister and a decision was likely to be announced in the next few days.

Raising the hair-cut allowance for boys from Rs 12 to Rs 25 is also on cards, he said. He, however, added that there was no proposal to raise the diet charges which are currently Rs 750 per month (for Class III to Class VII) and Rs 850 per month (for class VIII to X). After introduction of super fine rice in mid-day meals scheme, those in hostels too are having lunch in schools, he said.

Vacant post of warden to be filled up

BC Welfare Minister Jogu Ramanna said the vacant posts of hostel wardens, watchmen and sanitation workers will be filled through notifications by the TSPSC (Telangana State Public Service Commission). Ramanna, who is also state Forests minister, clarified that police and forest officials are seizing only thosel ands in agecy areas which were occupied by non-tribals.