SAMBALPUR: The district administration will soon launch ‘Sahayog’ initiative to provide financial assistance to meritorious students belonging to financially weak families for higher education.
An individual or an organisation can provide financial support to a poor and meritorious student for higher studies under the new initiative. Collector Samarth Verma said they have appealed people including government employees to adopt one meritorious student from economically backward families and provide financial support for higher education. The programme will start in Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) area on a pilot basis, he added.
The administration has already selected 71 economically weak and bright students studying in Class V of government-run schools. Anyone adopting a student has to contribute Rs 500 every month till the student appears the matriculation examination. A joint account will be opened in the name of the selected student and his or her mother to deposit the money, he informed.
Under the programme, a student after completing his matriculation examination can utilise the money deposited in the bank account to pursue his or her higher studies. District Education Officer Pramod Panda said the headmasters and headmistress of the government-run schools have recommended names of the students for financial assistance under ‘Sahayog’.
They have already started opening bank accounts for the selected students. People, who have evinced interest to adopt the students, will start depositing Rs 500 per month from April-end, he added. Panda said this year, all government schools under SMC limits will be covered while steps would be taken to expand the programme to other areas of the district next year.