AP govt to spend Rs 337.22 cr on Scheduled Castes: CM

Hyderabad, Jul 5 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today said the state government has drawn up a Rs 337.22 crore comprehensive action plan for the benefit of Scheduled Castes covering 1,48,405 people during 2008-09.

Interacting with some of the public representatives, leaders of the SC community and CMO officials at the camp office here, he said under the programme to be implemented by the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes Cooperative Finance Corporation (APSCCFC), the beneficiaries would be helped for developing land, digging borewells, energising pumpsets and taking up horticulture, dairying and sheep rearing and provide self-employment.

As per the new policy, the District Societies would act as facilitators and sanction only 50 per cent of the scheme cost or Rs 30,000, whichever was less, by way of subsidy with effect from April 1 during the financial year 2008-09, an official release said.

The government would extend the 'Pavala Vaddi' (three per cent interest) scheme to all APSCCFC beneficiaries, who repay loans to commercial banks promptly, he said and added that the list of beneficiaries of the Chief Minister's loan waiver scheme would be published on July 15.

The government was also giving priority to eradication of the manual scavengers system by rehabilitating them, he said, adding that in the recently-held meeting, the District Collectors were directed to demolish the existing individual and community dry latrines.

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