I-Day sops: 2% interest subsidy to farmers repaying loans on time
Chief minister Vasundhara Raje announced 2% interest subsidy to the farmers who repay loans taken from cooperative banks on time, and vocational courses in 185 secondary and senior secondary schools.
In her Independence Day speech at SMS Stadium here on Wednesday, Raje said the government on August 9 had declared an additional 2% interest subsidy for small and marginal farmers in tribal sub-plan (TSP) areas on long-term agricultural loans. “Now we are extending this to all the farmers paying loan installments on time; they will get longterm agricultural loan on concessional rate of 5.50% from land development banks till March 31, 2019; the government will bear the 2% interest subsidy.”
The CM announced construction of 94 new school buildings and 7080 additional classes at 2400 schools. “A fund of ₹101 crore has been sanctioned for Swami Vivekanand Model schools for building constructions. Class V has been added to such schools, which were earlier holding classes from VI to XII.”
Raje said ₹40 crore would be allotted for construction of hostels, each with a capacity of 100 students, at 20 model schools in desert, Sehriya and tribal areas.
Twenty-six state-run Kasturba Gandhi residential schools, running classes from VI to VIII, will be upgraded to senior secondary level. The capacity of 11 such schools will be increased from 50 students to 100, she said.
“In order to encourage employment-oriented education, this year vocational courses will be started at 185 additional schools of secondary and senior secondary level. The government is already running such courses at 700 schools,” she said.
The grant to elementary and senior secondary schools will be increased to ₹1 lakh from ₹12,500; a sum of ₹250 crore will be provided for the same. “At all schools, libraries will be opened and ₹62 crore will be spent for that.” Assistance to specially abled students at government schools will be increased to ₹3500 per student, the CM said.
Till now, dependents of those martyred after April 1, 1971 are provided government jobs. “Now, under special rule, the dependents of those who had become martyrs from August 15, 1947 to December 31, 1970 will also be given jobs,” Raje said.
She announced lowering of electricity duty for induction furnaces and mild steel rolling and re-rolling mills from 52 paise to 40 paise per unit.
Reacting to the announcements, Congress spokesperson Archana Sharma said, “It’s too little and late. People will not get swayed by such promises, and BJP will be ousted.”
Ghanshyam Tiwari, president of newly formed Bharat Vahini Party, said, “The announcements by the CM are mere poll sops and they will only remain on paper. There are no budgetary provisions for the announcements.”
Reacting to Congress charges, BJP spokesperson Mukesh Pareek said, “They (Congress) should answer what have they done in the last 50 years... The misleading charges by the Congress will not make any impact.”
POLL PITCH Vocational courses in 185 schools; more classes and hostels JAIPUR: