Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao today made TRS leader and MP Banda Srinivas the Chairman of the Telangana State Corporation for Scheduled Castes. As per the directives of the CM, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar issued a notification regarding the appointment.
Kumar also asked the officials concerned to make the necessary arrangements for Srinivas to assume office.
Srinivas is a native of Karimnagar district's Huzurabad. He has been part of the statehood movement, an active participant in many developmental programs in the state after its formation, and the TRS' Huzurabad mandal president, district secretary, and state joint secretary as well.
The appointment comes some time after the TRS government announced its Dalit Bandhu scheme on which it plans to spend Rs 2,000 crore. Many have pointed out that the appointment, made ahead of the upcoming Huzurabad by-election, likely to be in September, may just be a ploy to pocket the SC votes of the region.
The appointment has caught the attention of many as the CM chose to also implement the Dalit empowerment scheme in Huzurabad by extending financial help of Rs 10 lakh to the Dalit household in the constituency. However, after rival leaders alleged that the Dalit Bandhu program was a way to gain electoral advantages, the TRS leadership clarified that the scheme would soon be implemented in other parts of Telangana in a phased manner.
In fact, an awareness program on the scheme will likely be held on July 26.