‘16.19 pc budget allocated for welfare of SCs’

Puducherry: Puducherry Government was keen to ensure faster socio economic development of Scheduled Castes, Chief Minister N Rangasamy said Saturday.

It has earmarked 16.19 per cent of total budget allocations for 2012-13 for the promotion of welfare of the SC people, he said inaugurating a one-day meeting of state-level committee for the welfare of Scheduled Caste (of which he is the Chairman). He said no step would be spared to ameliorate the lot of the living conditions of the downtrodden and also to meet their housing requirements. Welfare Minister P Rajavelu, who is the Vice-Chairman of the committee, said Rs 18 crores would be disbursed in the next few days to students of the SC community under educational assistance scheme. PTI