TS govt ready to allocate any amount for welfare schemes, says Bhatti
HYDERABAD: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has reiterated that the Congress’ “people’s government” is committed to fulfilling its welfare agenda and is ready to allocate and spend any amount of funds for implementation of welfare schemes.
During a pre-Budget meeting with the SC, ST, BC, minority welfare departments held at the Secretariat here on Friday, the deputy CM directed the officials to implement self-employment schemes for the benefit of SC and ST youth with a Rs 3,000 crore budget within the next two months.
Vikramarka, who also holds the finance portfolio, instructed the officials of the departments concerned to prepare plans for implementation of the major employment/livelihood schemes.
He suggested that the officials promptly pay rents and diet charges for welfare hostels and residential schools. He sought department-wise pending bills related to these items and directed the officials to take the responsibility of getting these bills sanctioned by the Finance department.
Under the Sub-Plan Act, he instructed the officers to conduct a serious follow-up exercise on the funds due to the SC and ST departments from various other departments. The utilisation certificates related to the Union government schemes should be submitted regularly to get funds from the Centre, he said.
He instructed the officials of SC and ST departments to conduct joint meetings with Energy, Agriculture, Forest, Horticulture department officials for distributing lands to Tribals under the Forest Rights Act. Prepare plans for taking up avocado, bamboo and other plantations to increase the extent of forest lands under cultivation by utilising solar power and achieve results in the next two years, the deputy chief minister said.
He instructed the officials to take up repairs to the defunct lift irrigation schemes in SC, ST habitations and take measures for increasing the income of these sections.