CM Bommai announces schemes for minorities

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, presenting his second budget on Friday made the following announcements for the welfare of the weaker sections of society, the backward classes and minorities.

Aid in education

An endowment fund of Rs 2 crore will be established to offer Dr BR Ambedkar Fellowships to five students of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes who wish to study for a PhD in ISEC. Grants of Rs 6 crore were made to set up 14 Scheduled Caste post-matric hostels in 14 district centres.

A special package of Rs 250 crore is provided for the development of infrastructure and repair works for the hostels of the Backward Classes Welfare Department. Rs 8.5 crore for Foundation Course in Science and Maths subjects for 10,000 students of 8th to 10th standards in pre-matric hostels of the Backward Classes Welfare Department.

Constructing 20 new postmatric hostels and providing space for 1 lakh additional students in the higher education department for backward classes. In the 2022-23 Budget, Bommai announced that multiple residential schools of the Minority Welfare Department would be merged and renamed Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Residential Schools.

As of this year, 29 Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Residential Schools have been opened with CBSE curriculum for 6th to 12th grades. He said the schools were maintained at a cost of Rs 25 crore. Focusing more on women empowerment this year, Bommai further announced entrepreneurship training in IIMB at a cost of Rs 3 crore for 300 minority women graduates.

Self-defence training will be provided to girl students studying in residential schools of the department of minority welfare at the cost of Rs 2 crore.

Aid in loans

Interest subvention provided for loans up to Rs 10 lakh at 4% interest to unemployed persons belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. With a grant of Rs 400 crore, 50% subsidy will be provided for purchase of electric threewheeler or four-wheeler goods vehicles under Babu Jagajeevnaram Swayam Udyoga Yojane.