Union Minister Athawale assures support for SC students

The assurance was conveyed during a meeting with Telangana Minister for Social Welfare and Scheduled Castes Development, Adluri Lakshman Kumar

■ Athawale agreed in principle to facilitate the immediate release of Rs 150 crore in pending central assistance to Telangana.

■ The Centre will hold a special review meeting next month to examine Telangana's request for Rs 300-crore package to modernise SC welfare schools and hostels. 

Metro India News | Hyderabad

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Wednesday said that the Centre will extend all possible support for the holistic development of Scheduled Caste students in Telangana.

The Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, responded positively to the Telangana government's request for the immediate release of Rs 150 crore from the pending central assistance, an official release said.He also agreed to convene a special review meeting next month to examine the state's proposal seeking a Rs 300-crore special financial package for the comprehensive modernisation of Scheduled Caste welfare schools and hostels, it said.

The assurance was conveyed during a meeting with Telangana Minister for Social Welfare and Scheduled Castes Development, Adluri Lakshman Kumar, who called on the union minister here and submitted a comprehensive memorandum on behalf of the state government.

The memorandum sought enhanced central financial assistance for strengthening educational standards, expanding infrastructure in Scheduled Caste welfare institutions and ensuring effective implementation of centrally sponsored schemes across Telangana.

Kumar said the Telangana government, under the leadership of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, has placed social justice at the heart of governance and is implementing transformative welfare initiatives aimed at the socio-economic empowerment of Scheduled Castes.

He said the state government regards education as the most powerful instrument of social transformation and has accorded the highest priority to Gurukul institutions, welfare hostels and student-centric welfare programmes.

Highlighting the state's initiatives, he informed the union minister that Telangana has enhanced diet charges by 40 per cent, increased cosmetic charges by 212 per cent after a gap of 16 years, released substantial funds for hostel maintenance, expanded educational support under Pre-Matric and Post-Matric schemes and strengthened access to quality and technology-enabled education for disadvantaged students.

Kumar noted that substantial funds due to Telangana under various centrally sponsored schemes remain pending, placing an additional financial burden on the state in implementing welfare programmes. He urged the Union government to release the pending assistance at the earliest.

Kumar also drew the union minister's attention to the urgent need for infrastructure upgradation in Scheduled Caste welfare schools and hostels across the state. To address these critical infrastructure requirements, he requested the Union government to sanction a special financial package of Rs 300 crore for the comprehensive modernisation of Scheduled Caste welfare schools and hostels in Telangana.

He stated that the proposed assistance would significantly enhance the quality of educational infrastructure, improve residential facilities and create a safer and more modern learning environment for students.

He further appealed for continued central support to Telangana's initiatives in Scheduled Caste education, skill development, employment generation, residential welfare and social empowerment, stating that stronger financial partnership between the Centre and the state would ensure more effective implementation of welfare programmes.

Responding to the memorandum, Athawale assured that the central government stands firmly with Telangana in its efforts towards the educational and socio-economic development of Scheduled Castes.

He agreed, in principle, to facilitate the immediate release of Rs 150 crore from the pending central funds and stated that the proposal for the Rs 300-crore special package would be taken up for a detailed review with senior officials during a special meeting scheduled for next month.

Athawale also assured that the Centre would continue to extend full support for the welfare, educational advancement and empowerment of Scheduled Castes in Telangana, the release added.