KTR launches 162 silt carting vehicles under Dalit Bandhu Scheme

HYDERABAD: Telangana Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) KT Rama Rao (KTR) handed over 162 silt carting vehicles to the beneficiaries of the Dalit Bandhu scheme in Hyderabad on Monday.

All the 162 silt carting vehicles were procured by Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB).Of the total, 88 beneficiaries were from Hyderabad, 35 from Ranga Reddy, 37 from Medchal Malkajgiri and two from Sanga Reddy district. The HMWSSB would pay rental charges per month to the beneficiaries, including labour and annual maintenance charges. Each vehicle would be deployed with three people that included a driver and two helpers.

KTR said that Telangana had achieved remarkable progress in the last nine years and became a role model in the country to emulate religious harmony under the leadership of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR).

The MA&UD Minister said that Dalit Bandhu, a revolutionary scheme brought by KCR changed the lives of dalits, who earlier used to work as daily wage laborers. "It is a great initiative by HMWSSB to provide silt carting vehicles to the beneficiaries under Dalit Bandhu Scheme for their upliftment," KTR said.

Taking a jibe at a section of leaders participating in Swachh initiatives for publicity purposes, ignoring the plight of sanitation workers, KTR said, "The BRS Government is committed to the welfare of every single sanitation worker in the State. Drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, the State Government initiated Palle Pragathi and Pattana Pragathi programmes to address civic issues in villages and towns."

Be it Swachh Telangana and Swachh Hyderabad, nobody voluntarily wants to work as a sanitation worker. Recognising their efforts, the State Government enhanced salaries of the sanitation workers under Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) thrice and Pay Revision Commission (PRC) being implemented for the HMWSSB workers, the MA&UD Minister said.