Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has decided to set up 100 new residential schools by bringing SC, ST, BC and Minority Welfare students under one umbrella and provide them with quality education.
In a review meeting with officials of Social Welfare, BC, SC, ST and Minority Welfare departments on Thursday, the Chief Minister said each of those 100 residential schools will have 1,000 students and in all one lakh students will be provided with quality education. He directed the officials concerned to draft the plans for implementing the decision.
It was also decided that hereafter, the beneficiaries of Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi will be provided bank guarantee by the government for getting loans for pursuing higher education abroad. The decision was taken in view of the difficulties being faced by the SC,ST students in getting loans. At present Rs 10 lakh financial help is being provided to the SC students under the scheme.
Naidu has decided to provide career counselling to SC, ST residential school students studying IX and X classes. He directed the officials to set up fibernet connectivity in all schools by March and take measures for transforming them as innovation centres. He underscored the need for regular health checks and supply of nutritious food among students. He appreciated the IT initiatives in social welfare residential schools for feedback mechanism.
He set the target of upgrading 310 welfare hostels as residential schools in 2017-18. As many as 267 such hostels were upgraded in current fiscal. Officials were directed to complete all works and arrangements are made for laying foundation stone for Ambedkar Spurthi Vanam and Ambedkar statue on April 14, commemorating 125th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar.
Chief Minister was informed about the farmers initiatives in Paderu and Rampachodavaram to cultivate apple and also horticulture crops such as potato, pears among others. They said with GCC procuring and marking, coffee seeds in Tribal areas of Araku, income levels of tribal cultivators has increased.
He was told that beneficiaries were being trained in 70 skillsets through 23 youth training centres, which have benefited 12,960 tribal youth.