Let Gram Sabhas select beneficiaries, demand Sarpanchs

Huzurnagar: Congress MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that TRS MLAs and their followers have become commission agents for the 'Dalit Bandhu' scheme.

He was addressing a press conference at Huzurnagar after conducting a meeting with all sarpanches of the Suryapet district on Monday.

During the meeting, the sarpanchs demanded that the beneficiaries of Dalit Bandhu be selected through Gram Sabhas. Similarly, the power to identify beneficiaries of the proposed Girijan Bandhu scheme must be given to the Gram Sabhas across the State.

The scheme provides one-time capital assistance of Rs10 lakh per SC family for all eligible families as a 100% grant/subsidy to establish suitable income-generating schemes without bank loan linkage. Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that the Dalit Bandhu scheme was benefiting non-Dalit TRS functionaries, more than the Dalits as they collecting huge commissions.

He said TRS MLAs, MPs, MLCs and other functionaries were allegedly collecting huge commissions to select the beneficiaries. Consequently, he said the poor eligible SC families are either being neglected or being forced to pay huge bribes. The scheme is not empowering the poor Dalits but making the TRS leaders richer, he alleged.

He said that the State government is not releasing the pending dues to Gram Panchayats. He said some dues have been pending for the last several years and added that local people's representatives not getting due respect under TRS rule.

TRS MLAs have adopted a dictatorial attitude in their constituencies. He said that situation is worse for the sarpanches belonging to opposition parties. He said sarpanches of Congress and other parties were being threatened with removal and other action by the ruling party.

He demanded that the TRS governmnet must restore the powers of sarpanches and also involve the Gram Panchayats in the implementation of schemes, including Dalit Bandhu.