MLA Fear: Dalit, BC Bandhu, Gruha Lakshmi & BRS:
In a bid for a third consecutive term in office, the BRS Bharat Rashtra Samithi government has introduced three schemes: Dalit Bandhu, BC Bandhu, and Gruha Lakshmi. However, these very schemes are causing concerns among ruling party MLAs as protests erupt due to reported irregularities in their execution, particularly in the former Warangal and Karimnagar districts.
The BRS government planned to allocate Dalit Bandhu benefits to 300 beneficiaries in each Assembly constituency. Allegations have surfaced suggesting that BRS MLAs have favored their party activists and supporters as beneficiaries, rather than genuine applicants.
Sripelli Sudhakara Chary, a resident of Hanamkonda and a carpenter, shared his frustration, stating that despite multiple visits to the MLA’s office, his request for inclusion in the BC Bandhu scheme went unanswered. He was told that his name might be considered only after the elections.
In the former Warangal district, approximately 6 people applied for the scheme, while in Karimnagar, over 40,000 individuals submitted applications. Applicants claim that BRS MLAs have been referring 50 to 100 of their supporters from each village, leading to biased shortlisting. Some village sarpanchs have also applied for the scheme.
The government initially planned to grant Dalit Bandhu benefits to 100 beneficiaries per Assembly segment in the first phase and 1,100 per segment in the second phase. However, applicants allege that only BRS activists are reaping the scheme’s rewards.
Protesting against these irregularities, members of the SC community in Mallapur Mandal, Jagtial district, staged a roadblock, asserting that only 14 out of hundreds of applicants received Dalit Bandhu benefits due to BRS public representatives’ irregularities.
Congress leader Sammeta Mahendar Goud accused Wardhannapet BRS MLA Aroori Ramesh of enticing Dalit community members into the party by promising Dalit Bandhu benefits.
BSP state chief R.S. Praveen Kumar, speaking at a meeting in Peddapalli led by party leader Dasari Usha, accused the BRS government of engaging in populist vote bank politics with these schemes to secure election victories.
Meanwhile, BRS MLAs are growing increasingly anxious about these allegations and irregularities surrounding the implementation of Dalit Bandhu, BC Bandhu, and Gruha Lakshmi. They fear that instead of gaining political mileage, these schemes may prove costly in the upcoming elections.
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