Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (HB/EP)

Udupi, Jan 10: “Utilize completely the funds set aside for the welfare of the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe categories under special unit scheme and ensure that the schemes are implemented 100 percent,” said minister of social welfare and backward classes Kota Srinivas Poojary.

Speaking while presiding over the STP/TSP department wise progress review meeting on Monday, January 1, he told the officials, “The amount set aside by the government in the budget for the welfare of SC/ST should be utilized properly and basic and individual facilities should be provided to them.”

“Details of SC/ST categories of people in the district including their land ownership, their houses, electricity facilities and economic conditions must be collected. They will help ensure that the facilities are made available to the last person in the society. Officials in the district and taluk should collect the details in a week,” Poojary said.

“The scheme of providing electricity to their houses is already being implemented. But some of the beneficiaries do not apply for the facilities due to ignorance. They should be identified to make sure that they make use of the scheme,” he said.

“The nationalized banks should extend monetary help as per guidelines when the government sends proposals under the housing scheme for disbursement of loans”, Poojary added.

The minister obtained details of financial and other progress achieved as per the targets laid down by the government in this connection and directed the officials to meet the targets before the end of March this year.

“Every student of the community who has submitted an application for scholarships should be provided the facilities. If the applications are held up for technical reasons, the officials should consider the importance and approve them,” he said.

Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat, Kundapur MLA Haladi Srinivas Shetty, Byndoor MLA Sukumar Shetty, Coastal Development Authority president Mattar Rathnakar Hegde, deputy commissioner Kurma Rao M, zilla panchayat chief executive officer Dr Navin Bhat, additional DC Sadashiva Prabhu, state SC/ST unit director Urmila, backward class department additional director Pradeep, district panchayat assistant secretary Kiran Padnekar, chief project officer Srinivas Rao, district social welfare department deputy director Anita Madloor and all the district level officials were present.