Centre to push hostel construction for SC girls

New Delhi, Feb 23 (UNI) In an effort to bridge the widening gap between the literacy levels of scheduled caste girls and boys, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is mulling raising the existing 50 per cent central assistance to 100 per cent to the state governments for construction of hostels for SC girls.

According to ministry sources, the proposal has been formulated by the ministry to encourage girls enrollment and arrest their drop out rate.

However, in the case of hostel construction for SC boys, the existing level of 50 per cent central assistance remains.

Upgradation of merit of SC students and free coaching, including call centre training are some of the schemes being implemented by the Government under various schemes for SC boys and girls such as the Rajiv Gandhi national fellowship, National Overseas scholarship scheme and NGO schemes for running schools and training centres.

In another development, the government is proposing to extend the Dr Ambedkar Medical Aid scheme to the K S Bowring Hospital, Bangalore, the Kidwai Institute of Oncology, Bangalore, and Kasturba Hospital, Manipal.

The sceme seeks to reimburse SC patients suffering from heart, kidney, liver, cancer, brain or other life threatening ailments 50 per cent of the total cost of the treatment to the hospital concerned directly with a maximum of Rs 75,000 under the Dr Ambedkar Foundation scheme.

Patients availing of the Dr Ambedkar Medical Aid scheme, which is applicable to those whose annual income is less than Rs 50,000, will be reimbursed Rs 25,000 before surgery and the remaining after the surgery.

The scheme is already being implemented in 10 states through 10 hospitals, the sources said.

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