Churidars for Dalit girl students

Chennai, Aug 24 (UNI) After free bicycles, Dalit girls in Tamil Nadu studying from Standard six to 12 would get Churidhars as uniforms, Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Minister A Tamilarasi told the State Assembly today.

Replying to the debate on the demand for grants for her department, she said since the uniform pattern for the students were changed, the Government had decided to give churidhars for girls.

For Boys studying from standard eight to 12, trousers would be provided and the government had allotted an additional sum of Rs 265.32 lakh for this purpose for the current year.

She said two sets of free unstitched uniform clothes along with stitiching charges were given annually to students studying in Standards one to 12 in Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare schools and to those residing in Adi Dravidar Welfare Hostels.

A total of Rs 3,45,000 boys and girls would be benefitted under the scheme for which Rs 970 lakh have been provided during the current year, she added.

Ms Tamilarasi said Rs 980.57 lakh has been provided for giving free bicycles to the girls and Rs 989.45 lakh for the boys studying in Plus one. About 1.07 lakh students would be benefitted under the scheme.

She said for the first time the Tamil Nadu government instituted a Special State Assistance Scheme for the economic development of Scheduled Caste converted to Christianity and Rs 25 crore had been allotted for the current year.

The Rs 50 crore Special Central Assistance scheme to the State was utilised for Hindu Scheduled Caste population and did not cover the economic development of the SC converted to christianity, following which the Special State Assistance Scheme was formulated by the State, she added.

She also announced that hostels of the Adi Dravidar and tribal students would be repaired at a cost of Rs ten crore.

Earlier, during the debate, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi assured Mr Selvam (DPI) that adequate steps would be taken to prevent diversion of Central funds by various Ministries received under the Special Component Plan for the Adi Dravidar developmental schemes.

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