Scheduled castes occupy lower rung of socio-economic ladder: Naveen Patnaik

BHUBANESWAR: Admitting that there are many scheduled caste families at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said about 1.5 lakh dalit youths would be imparted placement-linked skill development training.

"In spite of a number of development strategies undertaken for them, the human development indices of many SC families are than the state average," Patnaik said while presiding over a SC Welfare Advisory Board meeting here.

A special drive has been taken up to identify SC boys and girls and to upgrade their skills through placement-linked employbility training, he said adding the state government intended to provide skill based training to 1.5 lakh SC youths in the next five years which would help them get jobs.

Though government had taken several welfare schemes for the development of dalits, their condition do not improve. This despite the fact that SCs contribution to the socio-economic development of the state had been siginficant.

"Odisha has the unique distiction of having 93 SC communities spread over the 30 districts of the state," the chief minister said adding skill development among dalit men and women could help in changing their economic situation.

Patnaik also announced to enhance pre-matric scholarship amount for SC boys to Rs 620 per month and Rs 650 per month for girls. The enhanced scholarsihp would be effective from July 2012. With cases relating to atrocities on dalits on the rise in the state, Patnaik said the state government has decided to open legal aid cells in all 314 blocks with two legal retainers who would provide legal assistance to SC/ST beneficiaries free of cost.

The government has meanwhile appointed legal retainers in 227 blocks which is likely to provide substantial relief to SC families in accessing legal assistance, he said.

A number of SC MPs and MLAs demanded provision of reservation for dalit and tribal youths in contractual jobs and educational institutions.

The chief minister stressed on education for dalit and weaker section of the society and said a large number of hostels are under construction in KBK (Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput) districts for SC and ST students to arrest drop out rate.

"This intervention will be intensified further with the settting up of more hostels to ensure enrollment and access of SC and ST children to institutions of higher education," he said.