Some MOBC schemes replaced with ESDP: CM Biren
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 30 2022: Chief minister N Biren has said that the state government has dropped some of the earlier schemes launched by the Other Backward Classes and Scheduled Caste Department and instead implemented Economic and Skill Development Programme (ESDP) .

The leader of the House informed this while giving clarification to Policy Cut Motions raised by Opposition members during discussion on the demand for grants of Minorities and Other Backward Classes and Scheduled Castes department on the 6th day of the assembly.

He said that training is being given under ESDP for trades like plumbing, barbering, electrical works, masonry, fishery, mushroom cultivation and mobile vending for one month and trainees are given tool kits by the department on completion of the training.

When the demand for grants of the department was moved in the House, Opposition members Th Lokeshwar Singh and Surjakumar Okram raised Policy Cut Motions while alleging that various welfare schemes launched by the department including scholarship for students are poorly implemented.

In his clarification CM Biren said that some of the earlier schemes launched by the department failed to reach genuine beneficiaries in far flung areas while some beneficiaries in the valley areas were found selling off iron roof sheets and chicks provided to them.

After receiving such malpractices, the government dropped some of the schemes and implemented ESDP so that beneficiaries could generate income through self-employment, he said.

The MOBC department remained as a minor department in the past 10 years and accordingly transacted only around Rs 300 crore in the past 10 years while beneficiaries were mainly from the valley areas.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his willingness to provide facility under the MOBC department to tribals, the state government approached the ministry concerned and got approval for more fund to bring equal development in hills and valley.

With the idea that development in the hills could be brought at par with the valley at least to some extent if some fund from MOBC is provided to hills, the government allocated Rs 1040 crore from the department to hill districts in the past five years.

With fund from the department, one each residential school in all hill districts of the state is being constructed at the cost of Rs 25 crore each, he said.

According to CM Biren, the department has provided welfare schemes/projects worth Rs 51 crore for Jiribam district, Rs 2.5 crore for Kakching, Rs 58.63 crore for Kamjong, Rs 64 crore for Kangpokpi, Rs 32 crore for Noney, Rs 27.78 crore for Pherzawl, Rs 65.17 crore for Senapati, Rs 11.73 crore for Tamenglong including additional Rs 77.58 crore for Tamenglong college, Rs 68.29 crore for Tengnoupal and Rs 160 crore for Ukhrul districts.

Regarding students' scholarship, the chief minister clarified that total number of students selected for scholarship under MOBC for the year 2021-22 was 24,966 but the Central government provided only Rs 1.03 crore against Rs 17.32 crore proposed by the state.

However, the PM will be apprised about the fund soon after the end of the ongoing assembly session and the state government expects to get the amount, he added.

While mentioning about the government programmes like Go to Hills, Go to Village, Meeyamgi Numit amongst others, N Biren Singh highlighted the various welfare schemes taken up by the government for ensuring balanced and inclusive development in both hills and valley districts of Manipur.

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