No SW funds for film on Dalit intellectuals: Minister

While accepting that the state government was indeed mulling over a proposal to make a film the history of Dalit intellectuals, Social Welfare Minister Pithani Satyanarayana on Monday said that media reports which stated that such a film would be financed through the budget set apart for the social welfare department are baseless.

Talking to media persons at the Assembly Media Point, Mr Satyanarayana said that the reports which appeared in a vernacular daily were baseless and condemnable.

“The truth is that the proposal to make a film on the history of Dalit intellectuals is indeed pending with the Chief Minister and no decision has been made yet,” the Minister stated. “However, there is no truth to the report that the Social Welfare Department funds would be used to finance the film,” he categorically stated.

The Minister further stated that the government is looking at a proposal to make a film on Dalit intellectuals at a cost of Rs one crore, but it has not released any funds for the project.

Mr Satyanarayana stated that the government will not divert funds released for welfare of poor and backward students.

The Minister pointed out that the government has released Rs 118.85 crore for students studying in hostels to purchase cosmetics and other items of their daily use.

Reacting on the fee reimbursement arrears to engineering colleges, Mr Satyanarayana stated that the government had already released Rs 988.13 crore out of Rs 1350 crore pending following the directions of the Supreme Court.

The remaining dues of Rs 325 crore would be cleared by this March 31, the Minister stated.