Centre assists SC/STs of Manipur

Imphal, May 17 (UNI) The Union Ministry of Rural Development is helping the SC/STs of Manipur by providing financial assistance, Manipur Information Centre officials said.

About Rs 726.71 lakh was sanctioned for the present fiscal under Indira Awaas Yojana and Rs 810.88 lakh under Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana to Manipur, officials said.

The Ministry had also provided budgetary allocation of Rs 3439.51 crores under three schemes namely, Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY), Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) and Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) for 2006-07 for the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes of the entire country.

Under the Indira Awaas Yojana, 5372 houses were constructed during 2004-05 and allotted to 122 SC families and 5250 ST families in Manipur. In 2005-06, 4489 houses were constructed and allotted to 60 SC families and 4429 ST families. In the last year, 2421 houses were constructed in Manipur under the scheme and allotted to 192 SC families and 2229 ST families with an expenditure of Rs. 527 lakhs, officials added.

Financial assistance for an IAY house is provided at the rate of Rs 25,000 for plain areas and Rs 27,500 for hill areas. The beneficiary contributes labour component. The Working Group set up for preparation of 11th Plan proposals had recommended substantial increase in financial assistance for IAY houses in view of increase in cost of construction of houses Under Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana, 561 Swarozgaris in Manipur were assisted with utilization of Rs 127.35 lakhs during 2006-07. The SGSY was launched on 1st April 1999 to provide sustainable income to the rural poor families (Swarozgaris). It aimed at establishing a large number of micro-enterprises in the rural areas, building upon the potential of the rural poor. It was envisaged that every family assisted under SGSY would be brought above the poverty line in a period of three years, officials said.

Under the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana, Rs 19.98 lakhs mandays of employment were generated in Manipur utilizing a sum of Rs.

1333.59 lakhs during 2006-07.

Launched on 25th September 2001, the SGRY provided a greater thrust to additional wage employment, infrastructural development and food security in the rural areas.

UNI