From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Sep 21: Post-metric students belonging to backward classes, who could not get admission in hostels run by the Social Welfare Department, would be paid a stipend of Rs 1500 a month for ten months towards accommodation and food expenditure during the current academic year.
The amount will be directly credited to the bank accounts of the post-metric students studying in colleges, Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya said on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters in Bangalore, the minister said the decision on payment of the stipend was taken at a cabinet meeting held here on Friday.
The minister said the amount would be given to 20,000 students studying in government and aided colleges, universities and other institutions.
Students who failed to get accommodation in hostels would be given Rs 1500 a month for ten months (Rs. 15,000 a year).
The Department decided to grant the amount to students to enable them to continue their studies by residing in rented houses on account of shortage of hostels.
Students could hire either a single room or a house for their stay during the study, he said pointing out that the department would receive applications online and scrutinize them.
On account of shortage of funds, the Government has not been able to construct hostel buildings and many of them accommodated in rented building.
It was not difficult to get houses for rent for Rs 1500 in rural areas and students could share the costs, the Minister said.
The income limit for category one (OBC) students has been fixed at Rs 3.5 lakh a year and Rs 1 lakh for students of other categories.
Income certificates submitted by students would be valid for five years, he said.
The Social Welfare Department runs 316 post-metric boys and 319 girls’ hostels (total 635) in the State.
Of the total of 635 hostels, 238 have own buildings while 400 hostels are run of rented buildings.
The department also runs 1378 pre-metric and post metric students’ hostels in the State.
Anjaneya said work was on progress on construction of 98 hostel buildings.
The department has to construct another 632 buildings and sites were available for only 350 hostel projects, he said adding sites for 288 projects were yet to be identified.
"We can take up the work only after identifying necessary land and after obtaining necessary approvals,” he said.