HYDERABAD: Stating that the Congress government does not believe in enjoying power as a “status symbol”, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Wednesday said that the present dispensation is functioning with the vision of building a socially just Telangana where people live with dignity.
He said that the government was also planning to reclaim assigned lands taken away by the BRS government and redistribute them among the poor.
The deputy CM was addressing the gathering after distributing awards to students of SC Welfare Residential Schools at Banjara Bhavan here in the city. He emphasised that the present government was not formed to serve feudal powers or evil forces but to serve people with dedication.
As per the SC/ST sub-plan, the government is not only allocating funds but ensuring that those funds are “utilised meticulously”, Vikramarka said and added that this government has carried forward the sub-plan funds not utilised by the previous administration.
“Unlike the past regimes, including those in the undivided Andhra Pradesh, the current government is ensuring optimum utilisation of sub-plan funds.
“Our government allocated Rs 40,232 crores under the SC sub-plan while previously unspent funds of Rs 13,223 crore have also been carried forward. Under the ST sub-plan, Rs 17,169 crore funds were allocated, with an additional Rs 1,296 crore unspent funds from the past being utilised, ensuring that there is no misuse or diversion of funds,” he said.
The deputy CM wondered why the previous government failed to implement such schemes despite high revenue and loans amounting to Rs 7.5 lakh crore. He also sought to know why, despite sufficient resources, no attempt was made in the past 10 years to increase diet or cosmetic charges in welfare hostels.
He explained that the goal is to ensure physical and mental wellbeing of the children as their growth benefits the entire state. The government has also conducted a caste-based survey to identify under-served groups and equitably distribute state resources, he added.