The Telangana government is preparing to introduce a new welfare scheme aimed at supporting families living in extreme poverty across the state. As part of this initiative, a statewide survey will be conducted to identify eligible beneficiaries, after which targeted assistance will be provided.
The beneficiary identification process will be carried out under the supervision of district collectors, ensuring transparency and accuracy. This move is part of the government’s broader effort to uplift the most vulnerable sections of society.
To effectively identify families facing severe deprivation, the Telangana government has decided to adopt a public participation model inspired by Kerala’s poverty eradication approach. The responsibility of designing and executing this process has been entrusted to the Rural Development Department, under the leadership of Minister Seethakka, along with SERP (Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty).
Earlier, SERP and the Telangana Integrated Livelihoods Programme (TGILP) conducted a pilot survey in eight mandals across five districts, during which nearly 8,000 extremely poor families were identified. Based on the success of this pilot, proposals for a statewide survey with community involvement have been prepared and approved by the minister. The proposals are currently awaiting final approval from Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, after which the survey will commence.
The survey will be conducted entirely at the village level, with active participation from local residents. Members of women self-help groups will visit every street on foot and assess the living conditions of each household.
A village social map will be prepared at the panchayat office, visually representing permanent houses, temporary houses, and huts. Details such as the number of family members, social background, and economic status will be documented and displayed publicly. This process will be carried out in the presence of villagers to ensure openness and consensus.
Based on collective discussions, a preliminary list of extremely poor families will be prepared. These families will then be visited individually for detailed data collection. After deliberation in women’s group meetings, a final resolution will be passed on the beneficiary list. Depending on the village size and population, this process may take three to five days.
The finalized village list will be forwarded to the Mandal Federation, whose representatives will revisit the village for re-verification. They will assess income sources, food security, livelihood patterns, and overall economic conditions. Inputs from villagers will again be considered, and objections—if any—will be addressed.
After necessary corrections, the list will be submitted to the MPDO, followed by field verification through the village secretary. The verified data will then be sent to the District Rural Development Officer (DRDO) and finally placed before the District Collector, who will officially approve and declare the beneficiaries.
Families falling under the following categories will be prioritized:
SC, ST communities, especially Primitive Tribal Groups
Families without own house or land
Households living in single-room mud houses or huts
Daily wage laborers with no stable income
Landless families or those owning only barren land
Single women, destitute elderly, sanitation workers, waste collectors
Transgender persons
Families affected by long-term illnesses such as TB or cancer
Households with persons with disabilities unable to work
Families with unemployed youth above 18 years who are unfit for work
Migrant families forced to move temporarily for livelihood
Similarly affected families from BC and OC communities
The following households will be excluded from the scheme:
Families with any government employee
Income tax payers
Households earning more than ₹10,000 per month
Owners of vehicles such as cars, jeeps, or tractors
Families owning more than 2.5 acres of irrigated land
Households with borewells or motor pump sets
Families that have taken loans exceeding ₹50,000 from banks or financial institutions