Hyderabad:
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday paid rich tributes to B R Ambedkar on the eve of his 130th birth anniversary (on April 14).
Rao said the efforts put in by Ambedkar to make the country secular (with no caste bias) and a democratic republic are highly laudable, an official release said.
KCR, as Rao is popularly known, recalled the great services rendered by Ambedkar.
He said it was due to Ambedkar’s foresight that the formation of Telangana state happened constitutionally.
Rao said that the state government was implementing several schemes and programmes for the welfare and development of the oppressed classes taking inspiration from Ambedkar.
The Chief Minister said that Ambedkar’s ideals are imbibed in the schemes, programmes implemented to strengthen rural economy and provide self-respect to the weaker sections in the society.
For the development of Dalits based on their population figures a Special Development Fund was created through the SC Sub Plan Act, he said.
Under the Act, the funds, which are not spent in a financial year, are transferred to the next year without diverting them to other departments.
Rao also said that the TS Pride programme for the entrepreneurs among the Dalits had been getting good response and results.
He said that the state government is providing funds at 25 Paisa interest rate for the Dalit industrialists to set up food processing units.
Rao further said the good results were being produced by the residential educational institutions exclusively set up for SCs, STs as the government felt that education is key for these sections.
In these institutions, besides quality education, skill development and special training is also given in the allied fields, he said.
Under Videsh Vidya Nidhi, students from these communities are provided financial support to pursue their studies abroad, Rao said.
The government is making efforts to encourage inter- caste marriages to pave way for a casteless society in the State, Rao added.
