The government is apprehensive that the recent decision of the central government to discontinue pre-matric scholarship for backward classes and minority students from classes 1 to 8 may lead to a decline in enrollment and an increase in dropouts of students from marginalized sections, Governor Arif Mohammad Khan said in his policy address in the assembly on Monday.
The address underlined the focus of the Women and Child Development Department on the overall health and nutrition of women and children.
The policy address on social sector schemes said the department is planning a long-term campaign to achieve three dimensions of gender equality – equal opportunity, equal voice, and freedom from violence.
The government will prepare a comprehensive plan for setting up Community Disability Management Centers and Integrated Rehabilitation Villages at the local government level with technical support from the National Institute of Speech and Hearing.
A strategy will be prepared to meet the special needs of the elderly. The policy address mentions that under the aegis of ‘Vathilapadi Sevanam,’ various services such as the distribution of emergency medicines, organizing home visits by medical teams, palliative care, and similar other services to bedridden and disabled senior citizens provided at their homes.
On other social sector schemes of the government, the address mentioned that the Scheduled Caste (SC) Development Department is outlining a
Preparing A ‘Green Income Programme’ has been formulated for solar electrification of households belonging to Scheduled Castes. This will enable SC households to earn income by selling surplus power to KSEB.
It reiterated the department’s plan to create health cards to record students’ health and nutritional status in model residential schools.
Micro plans will be prepared for all tribal habitations in the state with priority to projects providing basic amenities like roads, drinking water, electricity, internet connection, etc., to all tribal habitations.
Action has been initiated for setting up an exclusive mobile medical clinic at Attappady. The Edamalakudy special package has also been launched, said the policy address.
