The Telangana wing of the CPI today heaped praises on Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for the latter's new initiative to ensure the empowerment of Dalits in the state.
Speaking at today's all-party meet at the Pragathi Bhavan, state CPI secretary Chada Venkat Reddy said that it was very heartening that the CM had come forward to work towards the empowerment and welfare of the Dalit community.
Reddy said that the CM had held a similar meeting on the empowerment of the Dalits in the year 2003 where he had discussed several issues regarding their empowerment. Praising welfare schemes like the Kalyana Lakshmi, he then lauded KCR for "helping" the marginalised group using public assistance programs.
However, he did also make clear the fact that the CPI would not "keep mum" if the atrocities against the Dalits did not decrease in Telangana, and demanded that the state government take affirmative action on the issue and punish those accused of such attacks.
Meanwhile, during the meeting today, KCR announced that a Dalit empowerment program would be implemented in the state till the community was fully developed and brought into the mainstream. He also said that Rs 1,000 crore would be spent on a special package for Dalit welfare in the state.