Athawale recommends increasing financial assistance for inter-caste marriages in Uttarakhand
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Union minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale has recommended increasing financial assistance for inter-caste marriages from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 in Uttarakhand. He stated that a letter had been sent to the State government regarding this proposal during a review meeting held at the Bijapur Guest House in Dehradun on Sunday.
The minister chaired the meeting to assess the progress of various schemes run by the Social Welfare department. The additional secretary and director of the department Prakash Chandra gave an update on the ongoing initiatives. According to the report, 9.15 lakh elderly individuals, widows, differently-abled persons, abandoned women and farmers currently receive monthly pensions. The department is also in the process of granting scholarships to 1.07 lakh students for the financial year 2024-25. The department informed that 15 government hostels for Scheduled Caste students are operational, providing free lodging and meals to 489 students out of a total capacity of 696. Under the Babu Jagjivan Ram Hostel Scheme, two hostels in Bageshwar district, each with a capacity of 100 students, are functioning for both boys and girls. In Tehri district, a hostel with an approved capacity of 26 students is being run by a voluntary organisation.
The officials informed that the department operates three government industrial training institutes, accommodating 255 students out of a total capacity of 380. Five ashram-based schools and one Swargiya Surendra Rakesh Model Residential School are also functioning, with a combined capacity of 1,190 students, offering free accommodation, meals, textbooks, and uniforms. Besides this, three government-run homes for the elderly and destitute, with a total capacity of 124 and three vocational training centres for differently-abled individuals, with a combined capacity of 148, are operational, they said. A government de-addiction centre with a capacity of 30 is currently being run in Haldwani. For the financial year 2024-25, Rs 41.64 crore has been allocated for 308 infrastructure projects in SC majority villages.
After reviewing the department’s work, Athawale stated that the government remains committed to public welfare and plans to introduce more schemes in the coming days. In addition to his recommendation for increasing financial assistance for inter-caste marriages, the minister also mentioned that steps are being taken to establish de-addiction centres in every district of the State.
