In a bid to ensure accommodation facilities for Scheduled Caste students in school and college level, the State Government on Friday decided to construct 55 new hostels for them. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik while chairing a meeting of the Scheduled Castes Welfare Advisory Board announced that approval has given for opening of the 55 new hostels which would come up in 11 SC dominated districts.
Patnaik also directed the ST & SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department to prepare a roadmap to ensure increase of seats for SC students in ST hostels without minimising ST seats. Emphasising on implementation of best practices of other States for welfare of SC and ST community Patnaik said due to increase in scholarship amount and regular disbursement of the same, the beneficiaries’ percentage has reached 48 per cent.
Maintaining that 28,349 SC students have imparted training under skill development programme in last three years, Patnaik informed that nearly 2 lakh SC/ST students will be imparted training in next four years. On legal assistance to SC/ST people, Patnaik informed that 92 District and Sessions Court and Additional District and Sessions Court have been given Special Court status.
“The State Government had opened 390 legal Aid Cells to provide free legal services to the SC/ST communities. As many as 697 legal retainers have been appointed in 350 legal Aid Cells. legal retainers will be appointed in rest 40 Cells soon. This apart, measures have been taken to open three more Special Court in Cuttack, Balangir and Baleswar,” informed the Chief Minister. Among others, ST & SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Minister lal Bihari Himirika and Minister of State Sudam Marandi and Snehangini Chhuria and member of the Advisory Board were present.