Disbursement of scholarships to ST, SC and OBC studentshas been facilitated by introduction of a centralized disbursal systemon DBT mode. A dedicated scholarship management unit has beeninstituted for regular monitoring of the system. This was known from ahigh level review meeting taken by Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi on Saturday.
The SSD Secretary appraised that a total number of 22,13,868 students have been covered under scholarship programme in the academic year 2016-17 including 16,65.706 students under pre-matric programme and 5,48,162 under post-matric programme. Out of the total students around 11,56,963 belong to ST, 7,98,382 belong to SC and 2,58,523 belong to OBC.
He informed that scholarships are being disbursed directly to the beneficiaries bank accounts from State Treasury. Steps are being taken to modify and upgrade the Prerana portal and in its integration with IFMS. Students were advised to give their Adhara number in the online prerana portal while applying for the scholarships. Two urban hostels have been set up in Bhubaneswar to facilitate higher education for ST and SC students. Presently, around 700 students are residing in thesehostels pursuing their higher studies.
Padhi directed to ensure strict enforcement of safety and security measures in residential schools and girls hostels. The SC ST Development (SSD) Department authorities were asked to act vigilantly and proactively in the matter.
The progress of the establishment of a mega tribal education complex at Brahmapur, 14 Ekalabya Model Residential schools and 10 Kalinga Model Residential Schools in different parts of the State was reviewed. The Chief Secretary directed to expedite the work and make these new residential schools functional by 2018.
Detailed guidelines and SOP on safety and security of boarders, safe cooking and serving, food manu chart along with code of conduct and duties of the each staff have been circulated to all the concerned. So far 1,883 matrons and 276 AMNs have been appointed for girls hostels.
A special School and Hostel Monitoring Unit ( SHMU) have been set up in the departments on 24x7 operation basis with a dedicated telephone. The telephone is connected through hotline with girls’ hostels from where any boarder can directly communicate her difficulties to the State headquarters for immediate assistance, it was told.
Chief Secretary Padhi directed to have strict vigil on implementation of these guidelines and SOPs.
Review of the implementation of Forest Rights Act revealed that Odisha retains its top position at the national FRA portal. Available data show, more than 4,12,366 titles have been distributed under the Act including 4,06,475 individual titles and 5,891 community titles by end of June, 2017. So far around 2.33 lakh beneficiaries have been covered in various livelihood support programmes through convergence with other departments.
Padhi directed all Collectors and nodal officers to focus on this convergence and cover all the FRA beneficiaries with one or other livelihood support activity. The Departments of Forest and Environment, Revenue and Disaster management, Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, Fisheries and Animal Resource Development were advised to leverage their livelihood schemes for FRA beneficiaries.