Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Rs. 180 cr. to be spent on SC uplift in current year

By Our Special Correspondent

VISAKHAPATNAM MAY 6. The AP Scheduled Castes Cooperative Finance Corporation will spend Rs.180 crores in the current financial year for the uplift of SCs. Announcing this at a press conference here on Monday, the APSCCFC Chairman, Areti Kotaiah, said that priority would be accorded for purchase of lands to distribute them among the SC beneficiaries, which would in turn help them to live in peace. An awareness camp and workshop to educate the SC beneficiaries and provide them necessary guidance would be conducted with experts.

The corporation had spent Rs.164 crores to benefit 90,000 families in 2001-02, he revealed. Of this, Rs.45 crores was spent on purchase of land and another Rs.16 crores for providing them water resources. Land was provided to nearly 8,000 families. About 3,390 families were distributed 5,960 acres of land and land distribution was more in the Telangana region.

Mr. Kotaiah claimed that AP was on the top of the list in Dalit uplift in the country. While Karnataka could provide only Rs. 29 crores to 26,780 beneficiaries, Maharashtra spent Rs.10 crores on 8,932 beneficiaries last year. In Punjab, only Rs.4.55 crores was spent.

Apart from spending money for purchase of land, for levelling it and providing water resources, the serious problem of rehabilitating scavengers was also being tackled effectively, the APSCCFC chief said. Awareness programmes were held for them and safaiwalah groups containing eight or nine beneficiaries were provided `Gulpers', a Rs.8 lakh modern equipment mounted on a tractor, in all important cities of the State. As much as Rs.45 crores was spent on the scheme to provide employment to SC beneficiaries, he said.

For the uplift of SC women and eradication of the Jogin and Matangi systems, Rs. 6 crores was spent by the corporation last year, he disclosed. A survey was already conducted and 1,600 persons were identified as victims of the system. Similarly, Rs.4 crores was spent on those in the traditional profession of cobblers, while another Rs.6 crores was spent on rehabilitating SC families from the clutches of bonded labour. Also, Rs.16 crores was provided as assistance to self-help groups of women under micro-credit scheme for the uplift of SC women.

Mr. Kotaiah recalled that the 16th round of Janmabhoomi was conducted for weaker sections and as much as Rs.50 crores in all the 23 districts was provided as assistance by the corporation to about 30,000 SC beneficiaries.

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