CM assuages dalits' feelings, announces sops for community

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, under attack from dalits, has stepped up his efforts to woo SC/STs by announcing many welfare measures for them. At the same time, he has not forgotten his traditional vote bank - backward classes.

The budget mentions the measures he has taken and the new programmes he plans for SC/STs. A sum of Rs 16,356 crore has been provided for their welfare under the SC/ST Tribes Plan, an increase by Rs 522 crore compared to the present year.

A one-time financial assistance of Rs 50,000 will be provided under ‘simple marriage scheme’ for SC/ST couples who get married in mass marriage programmes.

For eradication of untouchability, incentive amount will be increased from the existing Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh for a SC boy marrying a girl from another caste and from the existing Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh for a SC girl marrying a boy from another caste.

Siddarmaiah has announced monthly food expenses for children of these castes staying in hostels and also a pre-metric scholarship. There has been a quantum jump in the incentives for the students.

The chief minister has said that children belonging to these two castes who pass in I class in I attempt will get an incentive of Rs 20,000, up from Rs 750 (for II PU students). The incentive is up from Rs 1,000 to Rs 25,000 for final year degree students, from Rs 1,250 to Rs 30,000 for final year PG students and from Rs 1,500 to Rs 35,000 for final year engineering and medical students.

The government intends to increase the loan amount from Rs 2 crore to Rs 5 crore and repayment period from 5 to 8 years for SC/ST entrepreneurs through the Karnataka State Finance Corporation at the existing concessional rate of interest.
DH News Service