Hyderabad: After the backwards, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and minorities, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has now set his eyes on wooing voters from the “upper caste” Brahmin community.
After a review meeting on the welfare of the Brahmins, the chief minister announced a plan to construct a “Brahmin Sadan” along the Outer Ring Road of Hyderabad — over an area of 4-5 hectares — as a platform for development of welfare of the community.
Apart from other facilities, the Sadan will have a hostel for students and the government will also provide scholarships to them for overseas education.
A nine-member committee was constituted to oversee the development of the Sadan.
Apart form senior officials and the representatives of Brahmin community, the committee also includes former Director-General of Police K. Arvinda Rao and former Chief Minister I.V.R. Krishna Rao as special invitees.
The state government has already allocated Rs1 billion (Dh55 million) in the budget for the welfare of Brahmins — and how to utilise these funds has been left to a Brahmin Trust. This is unusual as, in the case of other communities including the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and the minorities the question of utilisation of budgetary allocation is left to the department concerned.
Recalling his long association with the Brahmin community, the chief minister said that he had got a Bhramin community hall built in his Siddipet town back in 1985. KCR said that he was well aware of the financial difficulties Brahmins face when the religious ceremonies are not held.
The announcement of sops has come as a surprise to many as Brahmin community is seen as educationally and economically the most forward and developed section with most of the key government jobs going to them.
