Extension of Dalit bandhu to government employees and retired persons evokes criticism
K M Dayashankar
TNGOs leader say that they were forced to conduct ‘milk abhishekam’ to the portrait of CM hailing his decision following instructions from state leaders
Whether govt employee after availing Dalit bandhu would do business for his economic empowerment or work in the office to serve the people, asks Lok Satta leader
No dalit organisation hailed the govt decision
KARIMNAGAR: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s decision to extend the Dalit bandhu (dalit empowerment scheme) to the government employees and the retired employees has evoked wide spread criticism from various sections of the society.
The Chief Minister had announced that the Dalit bandhu scheme would be extended even to the government employees and the retired employees on par with the Rythu bandhu scheme during the launching of the scheme in Shalapalli village in Huzurabad mandal on Monday. But, the employees and retired employees say that it was unconstitutional and only deceiving the people with the false promise.
The government very well knows that it is impossible to implement the financial assistance programme to the government employees to take up other business activities for their economic empowerment programme by remaining in the service. What is the meaning in announcing the Dalit bandhu scheme to the retired employees when their life is almost settled by serving in the government and availing all the benefits and getting pensions, they questioned.
They demanded that the government should first discuss the Dalit bandhu scheme by organising an all-party meeting and also in the state legislative assembly to make it a law. The government should first focus on providing some employment opportunities to the educated unemployed and later think about extending the same to the government and retired employees, they stated.
A TNGO’s Karimnagar district unit leader, who does not want to be quoted, said that they were forced to conduct ‘milk abhishekham’ to the portrait of the Chief Minister for extending the Dalit bandhu to government employees and retired employees on the Collectorate premises following the instructions from the state leaders. “Actually, we are against this policy. It does not serve any purpose. The dalit unemployed youth were demanding the government to provide employment and not financial assistance to take up business ventures”, he stated.
“If the government decision was good and visionary, then why no Dalit organisation was hailing the Chief Minister’s decision or celebrated the event”, he asked. He said that the government was also planning to cheat the people and get mileage for the ensuing by-elections to the Huzurabad assembly segment. But, this decision would boomerang against the government, he added.
Lok Satta udyama samstha Karimnagar district unit senior leader and retired employee KS Narayana said that “it is meaningless to announce Dalit bandhu to government employees and retired employees. It is not correct to extend the scheme to the government employees in service and retired employees who are collecting pensions, he stated.
The government employees’ service rules say that the employee should not take up any business activities while in service. Then how would the government give financial assistance of Rs 10 lakhs to the government employees for taking up other business activities? Whether the government employees should do business or government jobs, he questioned.
“If the government was really concerned about the upliftment of the dalits, then it should provide employment to the unemployed youth or provide them training in self-employment skills before launching the scheme”, he pointed out and urged the government to avoid misuse of public money for cheap publicity and mislead the people.
