'Dalit youth’s family not eligible for additional land from Telangana government'

HYDERABAD: Going by the eligibility criteria, the family of Mahankali Srinivas, who made a suicide bid for land recently, will not get any additional benefit in the land distribution for dalits.
The 27-year-old had set himself ablaze in front of the office of Mandakondur TRS legislator Rasamayi Balakishan on September 3 seeking more land. While trying to save him, another youth, Yalala Parashuramulu, 26, suffered burns, Balakishan said.
"Mahankali Srinivas is undergoing treatment at Yashoda hospital in Secunderabad for the burns. The government will bear the entire expenditure for his treatment," Balakishan said, adding Srinivas was recovering and might be discharged in six days.
Though the youth, who belong to Bejjanki mandal in Siddipet, resorted to the extreme act of setting himself ablaze, that might in no way change the ground situation in so far as the policy of land distribution for dalits is concerned, officials said. When there were complaints about local Village Revenue Officer (VRO) demanding bribes, he was allegedly warned by the MLA. However, in the case of Srinivas, the issue was more than that of the VRO demanding money .
The TRS MLA said the policy of the government was to ensure that every dalit family owns three acres. As part of this policy, if a family has one acre, it would be given two acres by the government. And if a family has two acres, it would be given one more. If a family has no land at all, it would be given three acres. On Wednesday, he addressed a press meet explaining the policy .
"Srinivas' mother Mahankali Pochamma already owns two acres of land in Gudem village. So, as per the policy, Pochamma was given one acre 10 guntas and the land registration was also done on her name. The patta was to be handed over soon," Balakishan told TOI while explaining the situation. He said it appeared there was some confusion among land recipients as each was getting either 1, 2 or three acres as per the policy. Pochamma has three sons, including Srinivas, and he was under the impression that each of the family members would be given land.