K'taka Budget 2023: Highlights of announcements for weaker sections and minorities

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, in his second budget speech, made the following announcements for the welfare of the weaker section of the society, for backward classes and minorities.

Welfare of Weaker Sections

• Examining the suggestions received for improving the Karnataka Scheduled Caste Sub Plan and Scheduled Tribe Sub
  Plan Act 2013 including revision of sec 7(d);
• Suitable amendment to the PTCL Act to protect the land of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
  Total grant of Rs.795 crore for various corporations of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes; Implementation of various schemes utilizing the available grant of Rs.1,824 crore.
• Starting of Pre-University course in 100 KRIES residential schools; Grant of Rs.10 crore for providing Sports facility in 10 residential schools.
• Rs 6 crore grant for starting 14 Scheduled Caste post-metric hostels at 14 district centres.
• Interest subvention for providing loans up to Rs.10 lakh at 4% interest to unemployed persons belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• 50% subsidy for purchase of Electric Three Wheeler or Four wheeler goods vehicle under ‘Babu Jagajeevnaram Swayam Udyoga Yojane’; Grant of Rs.400 crore.
• Housing facility for Safai Karmacharies under Rajeev Gandhi Housing Corporation.

Backward Classes Welfare

• Construction of 20 new Post-Metric Hostels in the ‘Build to Suit’ model and handing over of 160 hostels under higher education department to the department of Backward Classes. Accommodate 1 lakh additional students.
  A special package of Rs.250 crore for basic infrastructure and repair for Hostels of Backward classes department.
• A grant of Rs.8.5 crore for Foundation Course in Science and Maths subjects for 10,000 students of 8th to 10th Standards in pre-metric hostels of Backward Classes Welfare Department.
• Grant of Rs.596 crore to various Corporations under Backward Classes Welfare Department; Implementation of various schemes using available grants of Rs.1,600 crore.

Minority Welfare

• Interest subsidy for obtaining interest-free loans up to Rs.20 lakh for minority students receiving foreign education.
• Entrepreneurship training in IIMB at a cost of Rs.3 crore for 300 minority women graduates.
• A total grant of Rs. 20 crores for the preservation of Wakf property and development of Khabarstans.
• Grant of Rs. 110 crores for Minority Development Corporation. Implementation of various schemes using available grants of Rs. 306 crores.

Housing

• Target to construct 5 lakh houses in the current year. Priority to be given to housing in aspirational taluks – Rs.500 crore allocation.
• Action to develop and distribute 30,000 properties through Housing Board. Out of this, 10,000 sites to be distributed to Economically Weaker Sections under “Namma Nele” programme.