Girl child in standard 1 to get Rs 2 per day in Karnataka

Each girl child will get Rs two a day for attending Class 1 in Karnataka government schools under a state scheme aimed at increasing enrolment in government-run schools.

The scheme is effective January one and would entail an expenditure of Rs 4.49 crore, State Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

Besides boosting enrolment, it would improve human development index, he said.

Jayachandra said the cabinet also decided to double the quantity of wheat to be distributed along with regular rice as part of "Anna Bhagya scheme" to Below Poverty Line cardholders, living in North Karnataka.

"Now, BPL beneficiaries, who are divided into various categories as per family size, will get 4 kgs, 6 kgs, 8 kgs and 10 kgs of wheat," he added.

The cabinet also decided to dismiss those officers who have been convicted in a court, Jayachandra said. Two health officers had been dismissed after they were convicted.

Jayachandra also said the stamp duty fee has been reduced to 50 per cent for those who were given alternative land as compensation for losing their land for building Mangalore Special Economic Zone Limited.

On "Akrama Sakrama scheme", Jayachandra said the cabinet has decided to fix a rate for regularising illegal construction on government land as per the the amended Section 94 C of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act. "This is only for rural areas," he added.