Rs. 1,133-crore development plan for STs approved
HYDERABAD: The fourth Nodal agency meeting of the Scheduled Tribe sub-plan has approved development and welfare schemes worth Rs. 1,133 crore for 2013-14.
The Nodal agency earmarked Rs. 204 crore for economic support schemes exclusively for the welfare of the most vulnerable tribal groups across the State, Minister for Tribal Welfare P. Balaraju said here on Monday. He added that tribal students of Classes V to VIII at government schools would be given a monthly incentive of Rs. 100 (boys) and Rs. 150 (girls). Two residential ITIs at Puttur in Nellore and G. Madugula in Visakhapatnam have been sanctioned. A girls’ residential school at Chittoor and upgrading of a junior college to degree college at Gudem Kothaveedhi in Visakhapantam are the other proposals approved by the Nodal agency. Meanwhile, CPI (M) MLA Julakanti Ranga Reddy said the purpose of the SC, ST sub-plan would not be served till the government formulated rules for spending the allocated amount of Rs. 12,256 crore. He said only Rs. 2,500 cr. was spent so far for the benefit of SC/STs, while Rs. 3,000 cr. had been utilised for general works.
Source: The Hind
