Chief Minister Raman Singh on Friday said that the educational expenses of the rehabilitated families of the mining-affected regions will be borne by the State Government.
The tuition fee expenses of even the higher education streams like Medical, Engineering, law and Management in the State Government colleges will be borne by the Government, he said.
The District Mine Fund will be used for the purpose, Singh said.
He also directed the officials to utilise the funds allocated for ‘Bastar Net’ Project and the three Rail Corridor Projects.
Singh was speaking at the District Mining Institution Trust meeting at the Mantralaya here. A proposal for Rs 3,000 crore for the development of the mining-affected regions in three years was also approved.
The officials informed at the meeting that an amount of Rs 581 crore had been deposited in the District Mine Fund. The schemes include providing drinking water facilities, conservation of environment, education, health, skill enhancement and employment, agriculture development, social welfare schemes and infrastructure development.
The women in these regions will be covered under the ‘Ujjwala Scheme’ and will be given domestic gas connections, stove , free gas cylinder. Electrification of all the houses in the mining areas, providing banking facilities in far-flung villages in Bastar, Kanker, Kondagaon, Sukma, Narayanpur, Bijapur, Dantewada and Rajnandgaon districts. The funds will also be provided for installing solar irrigation pumps.
Notably, Chhattisgarh is the first State to Notify the District Mines Institution Trust Act. The Prime Minister Mining Region Welfare Project had already been launched in five villages of Dantewada distrct.
Chief Minister Raman Singh said that all facilities should be provided and the villages should be developed as 'Model Villages' .The youth should be provided with Skill Enhancement training so that their incomes are augmented. Top priority should be given to the repair work of various hostels and ashrams in these villages.
He said that the target is to distribute 5,000 solar irrigation pumps to the farmers residing near Anicuts.
The rehabilitated families should be taught all trades which also includes ITIs under Skills' Up-gradation Project.
The funds can be utilised for the solar energy-induced electrification of schools, Anganwadis and habitats.
He directed the officials for nurturing of nurseries at Balodabazar-Batapara and Janjgir-Champa districts.
large nurseries had already cultivated vegetables at Raipur, Bilaspur and Rajnandgaon. One crore saplings are grown in one year. Similar nurseries should be developed in all the districts, the Chief Minister said.