DISPLAYING TALENT: Students perform at the Rajyotsava function held at Nehru Maidan in Mangalore on Wednesday. — Photo: R. Eswarraj

MANGALORE: Nearly 70,000 women in the State are involved in the marketing and processing of fish. To provide them financial support, the State Government has decided to introduce a "Matsya Mahila Swavalambhana Yojana" (a scheme to empower such women).

To implement the scheme, revolving funds will be set up in all fisheries cooperatives, B. Nagaraja Shetty, Minister for Fisheries and district-in-charge, said at the Rajyotsava function here on Wednesday.

As the coalition government was committed to development, several welfare schemes had been introduced. For instance, under the Statewide scheme to provide free bicycles to girl students from below poverty line families, 5,658 girls from the district had been given bicycles, he said.

Short-term, long-term and medium-term loans at 4 per cent interest had been provided to farmers, weavers and fishermen through cooperatives. Under the scheme, 4,33,777 beneficiaries in the region had been provided Rs. 218.52 crore, he said.

A total of 974 beneficiaries had been identified for the Bhagyalakshmi scheme, introduced to support girl children from BPL families. Special training had been arranged at the District Industries Centre to help educated unemployed youth find employment or start a business, he said.

Referring to the recent communal tension in Mangalore, Mr. Shetty said certain unpleasant events had paralysed life in the city. "On the occasion of Rajyotsava, we must all pledge to live in harmony to ensure such incidents do not recur," he said.

Six Government officials from the district were given the Nagarika Seva Award for exceptional service. The award carries a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 10,000.

Forty-five persons selected by the Kannada Sahitya Parishat for their contribution to various fields were given district Rajyotsava awards.

Earlier in the day, a colourful procession, "Sirigandha," was taken out from Bunts Hostel to Nehru Maidan. Various government departments and others took out tableaux reflecting the history and culture of the region. Volunteers from Bharath Seva Dal, Scouts and Guides and school students participated in the procession that was flagged off by Mayor Vijaya Arun.

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