The Cabinet sub-committee on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes sub-plans has identified education, drinking water supply and infrastructure facilities as priority areas while releasing funds for these sections at the specified percentages.
At its fifth meeting here on Saturday presided over by Deputy Chief Minister C. Damodar Rajanarsimha, the committee resolved to go ahead with the proposals to spend Rs. 2,609 crore on SCs and Rs. 1,500 crore on STs during the next two years in these priority areas. It was attended by Anam Ramanarayan Reddy, D. Manikya Vara Prasada Rao, P. Balaraju, E. Pratap Reddy, J. Geetha Reddy, S. Sailajanath, and Kondru Murali.
Briefing reporters later, Mr. Rajanarsimha said the committee would give final shape to the proposals on June 18 and get them approved by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy before going ahead with the implementation. It would resume district tours from June 21 to get feedback from stakeholders and beneficiaries. It would visit Visakhapatnam and Paderu areas on June 22 and Kakinada on June 23. A report would be prepared by August 25 based on the feedback.
Attacks on Dalits
On the attacks on Dalits at Lakshmipet in Srikakulam district on June 12, the Deputy Chief Minister said the committee would request the Chief Minister to order a full-scale inquiry into the violence. Already, the CID was investigating into the incidents and 11 out of 43 accused persons had been arrested so far.
