The social sector budget allocations got a substantial chunk in the Telangana State Budget 2016-17, with a new component of Rs.100 crore for Brahmin Welfare having been added, and the Kalyana Lakshmi scheme expanded to BCs and all BPL families.
The spending on welfareschemes is estimated to be close to Rs.21,000 crore.
Of this, Rs.7,122 crore is allocated for SC welfare, to be spent on schemes for development of the scheduled castes.The Tribal Welfare, on the other hand, has got Rs.3,752 crore allocations. Measures for their socio-economic development were promised once report is submitted by the commission constituted to study the status of scheduled tribes in the state.
While Rs.2,538 crore allocations were made for BC welfare, the spending will be on allocations to finance corporations, caste-based cooperative federations, scholarships, housing, Kalyana Lakshmi scheme, residential schools and colleges, hostels, and others.
New study circles will be built at Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Medak, and Khammam districts for BCs, for which land allocations have been made, Finance Minister Etala Rajender announced.
Minority Welfare has got Rs.1, 204 crore which is close to Rs.100 crore more than the previous budget allocations. Shadi Mubarak scheme has been allocated additional funds of Rs.50 crore over the last year’s Rs.100 crore. Seventy new English medium residential schools will be opened for minorities this year, for which Rs.350 crore have been allocated.
Asara scheme under which pensions are given to senior citizens, disabled and widows, apart from various other deprived sections, has got Rs.4,693 crore, while Kalyana Lakshmi has been allocated Rs.738 crore which will be subsumed in parts under various Welfare heads. Allocations for the welfare of women, children and disabled have been increased marginally, at Rs.1,553 crore.
Increased wage for Anganwadi workers, and Arogya Lakshmi scheme were prominently mentioned.
The Rs.100 crore for the Brahmin Welfare Fund will be used for the economically backward in the community, the Finance Minister said, and informed that rules for the Fund will be framed soon.
In Warangal, the members of the Brahmin community burst crackers and distributed sweets thanking the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for allocating Rs. 100 crore for the welfare of Brahmins in the State. Scores of Brahmins gathered at the Hanamkonda chowrastha and celebrated the news distributing sweets to passersby.
