Rs.
242.36 Crores Loans Sanctioned to 65 SC Entrepreneurs till date under venture
capital fund for Scheduled Castes Scheme
2.5 Lakh
Beneficiaries trained under Skill Development Programmes of M/O SJ&E
Corporations & Scheduled Castes sub plan during last three Years
Shri
Thaawarchand Gehlot interacts with media on 3 Years Achievements Of M/O Sj&E
The new National
Commission for Backward Classes will be constituted under Article 338B and will
commence functioning as a constitutional authority, in the same manner as the
National Commission for Scheduled Castes under article 338 and the National
Commission for Scheduled Tribes under Article 338A. This was stated by Shri
Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment while interacting
with media persons on the three year’s achievements of his ministry here today.
The new Commission will exercise the function of hearing the
complaints/grievances of socially and educationally backward classes. It will
have the powers of a Civil Court for this purpose. It will have the duty of
advising of the socio economic development of the socially and educationally
backward classes and evaluate the progress of their development, unlike the
present Commission which does not have this role.
The Minister of
State for Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri Ramdas Athawale, the
Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Smt. G. Latha Krishna
Rao and the Principal Director General (M&C), Press Information Bureau,
Shri A.P. Frank Noronha and senior officers of M/o SJ&E were also present.
He
informed the media persons that the objective of Venture Capital Fund
for Scheduled Castes is to promote entrepreneurship amongst the Scheduled Caste
and to provide concessional finance to them. The projects/units are promoted in
manufacturing and services sector ensuring asset creation. The Scheme provides
higher level of loans ranging from Rs. 50 lakhs to Rs. 15 crores. Till date loans
amounting to Rs. 242.36 crores were sanctioned to 65 Scheduled Cast entrepreneurs
and Rs. 118.99 crores has been disbursed.
The
Minister said that the Skill Training is under taken by the three corporations
of the Ministry viz. National Scheduled Caste Finance and Development
Corporations (NSFDC), National Backward Classes Finance and Development
Corporation (NBCFDC) and National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development
Corporation (NSKFDC). During the last three years i.e. from 2014-15 to 2016-17,
2.5 lakh beneficiaries have been trained under the skill development programme of
the Corporations and the Scheduled Castes Sub Plan. Out of these beneficiaries,
48.42% have got wage/self-employment.
Ministry
of Social Justice & Empowerment has released scholarships to 3.45 crore
students through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) providing direct benefit to the
students. Amount released is Rs. 18000 crores in the last 3 years.
He
said that the five places relating to Dr. Ambedkar such as Janam Bhoomi, Mhow;
Shiksha Bhoomi 10, King Henry Road, London; Deeksha Bhoomi, Nagpur; Chaitya
Bhoomi, Mumbai; and Parinirvan Bhoomi, 26 Alipur Road, New Delhi were declared ‘Panchtirth’
by the Government of India. Besides this, the Dr. Ambedkar Foundation under
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had sponsored 100 students for study
tour to Universities of Columbia and London School of Economics (UK) where Dr.
Ambedkar studied.
The Minister
informed that the Government of India declared 26th November as Constitution
Day. Various programmes by Ministries/Departments/ State Government’s were
organised throughout the country and Indian Mission abroad. It has been decided
to increase income limit from Rs. 1.00 Lakh to Rs. 2.50 Lakh on yearly basis to
provide assistance to families under Dr. Ambedkar Medical Aid Scheme. Under Dr.
Ambedkar Scheme for Social Integration through inter-caste marriage, 126
Married couple benefitted during the last three years. The Ministry of Social
Justice and Empowerment has enhanced Overseas Scholarship for boys and girls
belonging to SC/ST community from 60 to 100 for pursuing higher studies aboard.
He said that his
Ministry has launched the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana for the welfare of Senior
Citizens, which aims at providing Senior Citizens, belonging to BPL category
and suffering from any of the age related disabilities/infirmities viz. Low
vision, Hearing impairment, Loss of teeth and locomotor disabilities, with such
assisted-living devices which can restore near normalcy in their bodily
functions, overcoming the disability/infirmity manifested.
The Minister
said that the Department
of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has created 4
Guinness World Records, during the year 2016-17, as detailed in the list below:
-
- First
record, created by Biggest Wheelchair Logo/Image by 1000 PwDs at Navsari,
Gujrat;
- Second
world record, created by fitting 1200 Hearing Aids to 600 persons within 8
hours at a single location at Navsari, Gujrat;
- Third
world record, created in Gujrat by lighting most oil lamps simultaneously
at a single venue by Divyangjans; and
- Fourth
Guinness World Record was created when 3911 persons with hearing
impairment were fitted with hearing aids in 8 hours in Manipur.
The
Minister informed that the financial assistance under Voluntary Organisations
working for Welfare of SCs is released to NGOs/VOs to provide an environment
for Socio-Economic up-liftment and overall development of Scheduled Castes
(SCs). Also, the Ministry introduced the Self Employment Scheme for
Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) in January 2007, with the objective
to rehabilitate the remaining manual scavengers and their dependents in
alternatives occupations
He
said that Scheme for Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance (Drugs) Abuse aims
at creating awareness and educate people about the ill-effects of alcoholism
and substance abuse on the individual, the family, the workplace and society at
large. There are 431 Drug-de-addiction centres functioning through NGOs,
supported by the Ministry.
*****
Sanjay Kumar/jk/M/o-SJ&E (PC)/30-05-2017