Hyderabad, Aug 9 (BPNS) 

Telangana Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Tuesday said welfare schemes for poor people are not freebies but “waiving loans of duping agencies are actual freebies”.

The daughter of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said that there are 250 welfare schemes that are being run by the state government for the poor. “It is our responsibility as a state government to keep the best interests of the poor in mind,” she said.

The MLC decried the current trend of terming welfare schemes as freebies. She said that the Centre is putting pressure on the state government to stop these schemes.

“We’re very against this behaviour. The welfare of poor people is the responsibility of any government. I believe a freebie is what the BJP government has done — writing off a 10 lakh crore debt of duping agencies,” she said.

“The welfare of weaker societies is never a freebie, it is our social responsibility. I request the intelligentsia of the country to rise to the occasion and oppose this atmosphere that is being generated in the country today,” the former MP said.

“India is such a diverse country with people from all backgrounds. It is the government’s responsibility to help the weaker communities to break the cycle of poverty and progress. State governments are working towards it and the Central government should not put any hindrance in this,” she added.