The Hindu : Front Page : Steel price hike: relief likely for Indiramma beneficiaries

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Tuesday, Mar 25, 2008
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Steel price hike: relief likely for Indiramma beneficiaries

HYDERABAD: The State will think of providing relief to beneficiaries of the Indiramma housing scheme to the extent of the hike in steel price, according to Housing Minister Botcha Satyanarayana.

Replying to the debate on demands pertaining to his department, he told the Assembly on Monday that Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy had already taken up with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the need for bringing down steel prices. In case there was no response, the State would think of providing relief.

Earlier, CPI (M) members staged a walkout accusing the government of doing “injustice” to SCs, STs, BCs, minorities, physically-challenged, women and children in the budgetary allocations. Party floor leader N. Narasimhaiah led the walkout just before passage of the budgetary demands.

The Minister said a policy decision would be taken in April first week on the inclusion of eligible beneficiaries, who were left out in the first and second phases of the scheme. He urged members to bring to the notice of officials the names of such beneficiaries before March 31.

Responding to the members’ concern over the price hike of cement and steel, he said the government was supplying cement at subsidised rate to the beneficiaries.

Backward Classes Welfare Minister Mukesh Goud reiterated that there was no question of removing any caste from the list of BCs.

He said 11 residential schools -- six for boys and five for girls --would be set up in 2008-09. Eight high schools for girls would be established in the State and a girls hostel in each Assembly constituency. Forty integrated hostels for BCs would come up next year.

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