HYDERABAD: With the Assembly elections just a few months away, the Congress released the SC/ST Declaration in the presence of AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge at the Poru Garjana public meeting held in Chevella on Saturday. This comes on the heels of the party’s previous declarations catering to farmers and youth.
The SC/ST Declaration lists 12 promises, including enhancement of statutory reservations for SCs from 15% to 18%, and for STs from 10% to 12%. It also aims to extend it to the private sector (education and employment).
The Congress Declaration also promises to provide Rs 12 lakh to SC/ST families under the Ambedkar Abhaya Hastam scheme, which is similar to the populist Dalit Bandhu initiative undertaken by the BRS-led State government.
It further outlines an array of promises, including implementing SC sub-categorisation, providing house plots and Rs 6 lakh for house construction to landless SC/STs, ensuring heritable, alienable, and transferable rights for assigned and Podu lands, and restoring lands taken away by the incumbent government.
The Congress also pledged to establish three new SC corporations for Madiga, Mala and other sub-castes, allocating Rs 750 crore to each in the State budget every year, and three ST corporations, allocating Rs 500 crore each year. It also promised to establish five Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDAs) in Nalgonda, Mahabubabad, Khammam, Nizamabad and Mahbubnagar.
The Congress also envisions the establishment of nine super-speciality hospitals in ITDA headquarters, offering specialised healthcare access to tribal communities. The party also revealed its plans to introduce the Vidya Jyothulu Pathakam for SC/ST students, under which it would provide Rs 10,000 upon passing the 10th standard, Rs 15,000 upon completing Intermediate, Rs 25,000 after graduation, Rs 1 lakh upon post-graduation and Rs 5 lakh for those who have completed MPhil or PhD.
The Declaration said that it would also establish residential schools in every mandal, revive the fee reimbursement scheme and provide hostel facilities to individuals pursuing both graduation and PG studies.
Addressing the gathering after paying floral tributes to revolutionary balladeer Gaddar, Mallikarjun Kharge affirmed that Congress stands by its promises and will swiftly implement them upon coming to power. He also took the opportunity to assert that the recently elected Congress government in Karnataka has implemented five of its promises made to the people,one after another.“Congress implements, if it promises,” Kharge said.
Kharge hit out at Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Alleging that there was a secret understanding between the BJP and BRS, Kharge said: “KCR didn’t come for even one meeting. He has never come forward to join the secular parties and INDIA, which is an alliance of 26 parties, to dethrone PM Modi and the BJP. Here (in Hyderabad), you claim you are a secular party, but you make dark deals there (New Delhi).”
TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy, in his address, stated that since statehood for Telangana has been attained, it is imperative that social justice is delivered to the people. “Congress is promising to provide Telangana residents with three things: liberty, social justice as per proportional population and equal opportunities and development to all regions,” Revanth remarked.