Medak, April 17 : Telangana Finance and Health Minister Harish Rao has blamed the Congress and BJP for the rise in poverty in the country. Speaking after distributing tractors, paddy cutting machines, commercial vehicles, tent equipment and mini-dairy equipments to 56 beneficiaries at Hasanmohdpally village in Tekmal Mandal in this district under Dalit Bandhu scheme, Rao said that the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre was hiking prices of fuel and others whereas the TRS government in Telangana is distributing wealth to the poor people. The Minister said questioned on why the BJP-led government did not set up a separate Ministry for Backward Classes (BCs) whose population is more than half in the country. He said the Congress party has treated the Dalits as a vote bank only and not done anything for them. The schemes which are implemented in Telangana is nowhere in the country, Rao said and questioned the BJP and Congress how they will conduct Padayatra in the state. Member of Parliament B B Patil, local MLA Kranthi Kiran and among others were present. VV CS1600