Karnataka sanctions Rs 250 crore to spruce up backward classes' hostels

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 21 : Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai on Saturday said the state government will sanction Rs 250 crore to improve the condition of backward classes hostels and to provide more facilities.
Bommai was speaking after inaugurating the 107th birth anniversary of former Chief Minister D Devaraja Urs and distributing Devaraja URS awards organised by the Department of Backward Classes in Vidhana Soudha here on Saturday.

The CM said grants have been released to all the hostels to increase their capacity by 25 per cent. Additional grants have been released to 2,439 hostels. As many as 195 hostels are in different stages of completion.
He said construction of 50 new hostels is underway. In five academic centres in the state, multi-storey hostels are being constructed to house 1,000 students. Plans are afoot to increase the capacity to 5,000 students and the funds have been released.
Bommai informed that an order has been issued to release Rs 4 crore to extend financial assistance to students who are doing PhD and a Rs 10 crore additional grant has been given to provide scholarships for students studying abroad.
Bommai said four new schools will be started in the name of Narayana Guru at a cost of Rs 30 crore. For various boards and corporations under backward classes, Rs 800 crore additional grant has been given.
Besides, a grant of Rs 10 lakh has been issued to set up Swami Vivekananda Youth Club in each village and to provide marketing facilities for products. Other things done by the government include financial assistance for Stree-Shakti groups, bank linkage and marketing facilities, along with Rs 5 lakh assistance and allotment of Rs 129 crore to various mutts which are involved in social activities.
He said Devaraja Urs played a big role in social, economic and academic progress of Karnataka.
"He was a great visionary and cared a lot for the poor. The personality of Urs has always been the source of inspiration. The former CM has left an indelible impression in the social field of politics. The population of the Ursu community is very less. The credit for infusing a new political strength to the voiceless and helping them to emerge as a new political force in the State goes to Devaraja Urs. He also propagated the concept of social justice," Bommai said.
The Karnataka CM said the concept of tiller is owner of land was given legal protection and made tiller to have right over land. This has been a revolutionary decision in the annals of Karnataka history. The state food production increased after the small tillers got ownership of the land. The small communities within backward classes got education and employment which helped them to live with pride, stated Bommai.
He further said the concept of Janata houses, ration distribution system, electricity at concessional rate and increase in power generation made the Devaraja Urs government to take the State on the path of progress.
"A number of backward classes leaders were groomed by him. They must make a vow to ensure reaching of benefits to the last man in the society," Bommai said
He said the government is committed to improving the living standards of backward classes, education and employment for children and instilling political strength in them. The government will do everything to uplift backward classes, added Bommai.