Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka has reiterated that People’s government is committed to its welfare agenda and it is ready to spend any amount of funds for implementation of schemes in the welfare department.
The Deputy Chief Minister held a review on various issues in the Pre-Budget meeting with the SC, ST, BC, Minority Welfare departments at the Secretariat here on Friday.
Bhatti Vikramarka said that those who ruled the State for 10 years had totally neglected self employment schemes for the SC, ST youth. He directed the officials to implement self employment schemes for the SC, ST youth in a span of two months with a budget of Rs 3,000 crore.
Bhatti also instructed the officials of the concerned departments to ready the plans related to these major employment /livelihood schemes.
The Deputy Chief Minister suggested to the officials to pay promptly rents, diet charges related to welfare hostels and residential schools. He sought department-wise pending bills related to these items and told the department officials to take responsibility for getting these bills sanctioned from the Finance department.
Bhatti Vikramarka also advised the officials to follow up with the Ministers, MLAs and senior officials to ensure their visit to welfare hostels and residential schools on a continuous basis.
The schedule of these visits be prepared in advance and the people’s representatives and senior officials be reminded for the successful conduct of these programmes.
Under the Sub Plan Act, he instructed the officers to conduct a serious follow – up exercise on the funds due to SC and ST departments from various other departments. The utilisation certificates related to Central government schemes be submitted regularly to speed up securing funds from the Centre, he added.
Referring to distribution of land under the Forest Rights Act to tribals, Bhatti Vikramarka said lakhs of tribals were given land from Adilabad to Bhadrachalam. He instructed the SC, ST departments’ officials to conduct joint meetings with Energy, Agriculture, Forest, Horticulture department officials.
He suggested that repairs be taken up for the defunct lift irrigation schemes in SC , ST habitations and take measures for increasing income of these sections.
Finance Special Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao, SC Corporation Principal Secretary Sridhar, ST Corporation Principal Secretary Sharat , Dep CM Special Secretary Krishna Bhaskar and other officials attended the meeting.