Shimla, Sep 21 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said the provision to provide Rs 1,000 per month as pocket money to eligible children of widows and single women covered under the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana will be extended to those in the age group of 19-27 years as well.
Currently, only children aged up to 18 years are given this assistance.
Under the flagship scheme, the Sukhu government extends higher education support to eligible children of widowed, single and destitute women.
“Under the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana, the state government is currently providing support to 21,292 beneficiaries, with a budget provision of Rs 40.29 crore for the current financial year. Under the scheme, the state government bears the entire cost of higher education for children of widows and single women,” Sukhu said chairing a meeting of the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department here.
At the meeting, he directed the department to ensure that benefits of all welfare schemes reach eligible beneficiaries. He asked officials to develop an integrated portal for all departmental schemes to ensure that eligible persons receive seamless access to benefits.
“No child should be deprived of education due to lack of financial resources,” he said.
Sukhu pointed out that the state government, under the Dr Y S Parmar Vidyarthi Rin Yojana, is providing loans up to Rs 20 lakh at 1 per cent interest for meritorious students to pursue higher education.
He further directed the WCD department to facilitate visits abroad for 50 meritorious students each from among the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana beneficiaries and the Children of the State.
The visits would provide them exposure, the chief minister said, adding that the state’s resources and prosperity should also benefit disadvantaged sections of society, who should receive their rightful share.
At the meeting, Sukhu reviewed the proposed Indira Gandhi Matru Shishu Sankalp Yojana, which is aimed at ensuring the availability of nutritious food for maternal and child health. He said adequate funds would be provided for construction of nine Child Care Institutions.
Sukhu further asked officials to expedite construction of the Mukhyamantri Sukh-Aashray Gram Parisar at Luthan in Kangra district and complete the project by May 2027. PTI COR RUK RUK
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