Redya Naik

HYDERABAD: Social Welfare Minister D.S. Redya Naik on Friday announced increase in the annual income limit from Rs. 69,000 to Rs. 1 lakh for scholarships to tribal students.

Speaking to reporters after a review meeting with the Tribal Welfare Department officials here on Friday, Mr. Naik said the Government's decision would benefit a large number of tribal children.

The Government was paying post-matric scholarships to 1.01 lakh students and pre-matric scholarships to another 5,926 students. A sum of Rs. 70 crores was released for the scholarships alone, he added.

Elaborating on the steps taken by the department to improve the educational facilities, the Minister said Rs. 330.70 crores had been allocated for the purpose. The department was running 441 hostels, besides 599 tribal schools. One new hostel for tribal girls was being constructed in Rajampet mandal and a residential school in Pulivendula, both in Kadapa district. Mr. Naik said 12,639 students were studying in 40 residential schools and two more had been sanctioned in Vissannapeta in Krishna district and Marripeda in Warangal district.

Classrooms

He said Rs. 65 crores had been sanctioned under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan to construct additional classrooms and provide other infrastructural facilities in the educational institutions.

He said Rajiv Giribala Raksha health and accident insurance scheme were launched in December last for tribal students, benefiting 2.80 lakh students. An action plan had been prepared at a cost of Rs. 2.76 crores to develop tribal hamlets in Devarakonda division in Nalgonda district. More than 24,000 Primitive Tribal Group families were covered under the Janashree insurance scheme.

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