Tripura8217;s package deal for OBCs

AGARTALA, JANUARY 28: The Left Front government of Tripura has announced a special package for the development of Scheduled Castes, Other ...

AGARTALA, JANUARY 28: The Left Front government of Tripura has announced a special package for the development of Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes and religious minorities in the state.

The package includes special incentive for education, socio-cultural and socio-economic development.

Chief Minister Manik Sarkar told newsmen here on Thursday that the state government would seek a special grant from the Centre to implement the package meant for the speedy development and welfare of the backward peaple.

The development package for Scheduled Castes include educational package in which coaching centres, residential schools, hostel for boys and girls and loan for education will be provided, Sarkar said.

Earlier, the state government had announced a package for the development of the tribals and media.

Educational loans will be sanctioned by the OBC Co-operative Development Corporation Limited to those students going outside the state for higher studies. Students of the below poverty line BPLfamilies will be given loan free of interest and others will be given loan at a nominal interest, the chief minister said.

The Opposition Congress today strongly criticised the state government for announcing quot;packages without implementing them in real lifequot;.

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Describing the package for Backward Class as an quot;eye-washquot;, former chief minister and leader of the Opposition in Tripura Assembly Samir Ranjan Barman said the government has announced the packge on the eve of the Tripura Tribal Area Autonomus District Council TTAADC elections to woo the voters.

The socio economic development package includes housing allotment of loan, filling up of all the vacant posts reserved for SCs, area-based special programme for infrastructural development, exavation and re-excavation of fisheries tanks, rehabilitation of cobblers and scavengers, economic empowerment for women and aid to professional musicians, the chief minister said.

For the religious minorities, incentives would be awarded according to the specialpackage, Sarkar said adding major incentive includes provision of books, pre-matric and post-matric scholarships, coaching centres for meritorious students.

A cash award of Rs 1,500 will be given to those minority students who passed the Madhyamik examination and HS examination in the first division, Sarkar stated.