MAHARASHTRA has made sure that social development accompanies economic growth.
"In the health sector Maharashtra is rated No. 2 or 3 on most indices," says Chief Secretary Dr. D.K. Sankaran. "There are some areas where we have performed particularly well. Infant mortality rate has come down drastically; we are working to bring it down even further."
Progress has been made in education as well, he says. "Most notably, the school dropout rate has come down. Our priority is to bring down dropout rates in the tribal areas. To assist this plan, we are constructing 1,000-room hostels in the divisional headquarters."
To reduce regional inequalities, "Marathwada and Vidarbha will be getting increased funding to improve their social indicators", he says.
The budget allotment for social development has increased. The State allocated Rs.1,100 crores for the welfare of backward communities and Rs.900 crores for the underprivileged. In a scheme called the Dadasaheb Gaikwad Rehabilitation Project, 3,305 landless labourers will be provided barren land or land reclaimed from the sea, in two years. Half the cost of the land will be borne by the State while the other half will be extended as an interest-free loan. The total estimated expenditure is Rs.50.89 crores.
For children belonging to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, six higher technical institutes will be constructed. Education grant for them up to the 10th standard has been doubled. The budget allotted is Rs.120.77 crores. Scholarships for S.C./S.T. girl students studying in standards V to VII are being doubled; the budget allocated is Rs.14.13 crores.
For educated unemployed S.C./S.T. people, employment programmes in farming, horticulture, fisheries, silk weaving, cattle rearing, milk production, trading and so on have been envisaged.
For students from backward communities, scholarships will be provided to pursue education abroad. The number of students who can avail themselves of the scholarship has been increased from 10 to 25 this year and Rs.3.57 crores has been allocated for this. Special police training will be provided for 995 students from backward communities.
A financial aid of Rs. 41.66 crores will be distributed amongst 20,406 students from backward communities who pursue technical and commerce courses.
Cows, buffaloes and goats are offered to people from backward communities so that they can earn a livelihood by selling milk.
Hostels and ashram schools for Adivasi children have been established in various parts of the State. Five English-medium schools were started in Thane, Nashik, Nandurbar, Amravati and Gadchiroli.
The State government plans to build 25,000 houses for Adivasi families this year. For this venture, Rs.150 crores has been granted.
For the marriage of an Adivasi girl, a grant of Rs.10,000 is planned. Donations for procuring cooking gas will be provided to Adivasis. Special programmes have been planned for the development of the Pardhi community, and Rs.30 crores has been allocated for this.
For the Union Public Service Commission and Maharashtra State Public Service Commission examinations, special guidance centres have been set up in Aurangabad, Pune, Mumbai, Jalgaon and Nagpur; Rs. 50 lakhs has been allocated this year. To help candidates prepare for competitive examinations, a Marathi foundation course has been started, for which Rs. 11.46 lakhs has been allocated.
Permission has been granted to open 360 Urdu schools. The fund requirement of Rs. 38.20 crores has been given to the Maulana Azad Artistic Committee.
A Special CorrespondentCOMMents
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