State Government has enhanced the limit of creamy layer from Rs. 2.5 lakh to Rs. 4.5 lakh so that more beneficiaries of Other Backward Classes (OBC’s) could avail benefit of scheme meant for them. This was revealed by Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, while presiding over the 7th Meeting of HP OBC Welfare Board, held here under his Chairmanship, today.
Chief Minister said that the State Government was providing 12 percent reservation to OBC candidates in direct recruitment to Class I and II posts and 18 percent in Class III and IV posts in Government sector with a view to open more employment avenues for the socio-economic uplift of the educated youth of the community. He said that there were 49 communities enlisted under OBC in the State which were economically poor and deserving one. He said that objective of the constitution of the Board had been to provide open forum to non-official members of the community to give their suggestions for the betterment of the community so that the same could be implemented by the State Government. He said that with the enhancement in creamy layer the scope of benefits had been widened for inclusion of more people under the list of beneficiaries. He said that majority of OBC beneficiaries had also been covered under the Social Security Pension Scheme and the 2,77,817 pensioners were now being given revised monthly pension of Rs. 400 which included 1.04,156 new cases of social security pension had been sanctioned during present regime of the Government. He said that Rs. 6.15 crore had been spent over different schemes being implemented for the welfare of OBCs during current financial year.
Earlier Chief Minister also presided over the 9th Meeting of Kabir Panthi Welfare Board and said that the grant-in-aid for housing to scheduled caste beneficiaries had been increased to Rs. 48,500 and Rs. 16.27 crore would be be disbursed among 3,353 beneficiaries during current financial year. He said that with a view to update professional education amongst the students of the communities, SC BPL were being provided monthly fee of Rs. 1200 with Rs. 1000 as training scholarship. He said that 272 beneficiaries were getting benefits under Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Application, Diploma in Computer Application Desk Top Publication. Besides inviting applications for Certificate Course in Computerised Accounting. He said that loans worth Rs. 15.69 crore had been provided to 4069 scheduled caste beneficiaries during preceding financial year and 4400 would be benefited during current financial year.
Prof. Dhumal said that 50 percent subsidy was being provided to SC BPL students in computer education from 9to to plus two standard. He said that the State Government would be spending Rs. 217.75 crore under different programmes and schemes during current financial envisioned for SC/ST/OBC/Minorities, physically handicapped and aged people. He said that the objective of constituting Welfare Boards for specific communities had been to incorporate demands of the representatives of the communities and suggestions for speedy upliftment of the same. He said that the State Government was committed for the betterment of all the communities and policies and programmes envisioned were being implemented in letter and spirit.
Sarveen Chaudhary, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, said that separate departments had been created for the speedy implementation of the programmes envisioned for different communities. She said that easy loan facilities had been ensured to the beneficiaries under different schemes to motivate communities to go for self employment avocations. She said that Dr. B.R.Ambedkar Scholarship was being provided to the students to help them carry forward with their higher education pursuits.
S.K.Dash, Additional Chief Secretary, welcomed the Chief Minister and thanked him for presiding over the meeting. Dr. Abhishek Jain, Director of Scheduled Caste, OBC and Minority Affairs, conducted proceedings of the Meeting. R.R.Kaundal, Deputy Speaker, HP Vidhan Sabha, S.Roy, Chief Secretary, Principal Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, Heads of the Departments, Deputy Commissioners and non-official members attended the meeting.
