IMPHAL, Jan 15 NNN: Manipur Government is mulling over a proposal for scaling up the amount of scholarship money and unemployment allowances given to the differently-abled people in the state and if approves, the revised amount will be given most likely from April this year.
Admitting that the current amount of scholarship money and unemployment allowances given to the differently-abled persons in the state are not acceptable considering their values, such nominal amount has created problems to them, official sources in Manipur Social Welfare Department disclosed on Tuesday.
Each Financial Year, the state Government earmarks certain amount of money and from that amount the Social Welfare Department gives scholarship and allowances to disabled every year. Presently, scholarships are provided to 95 differently-abled persons and unemployment allowances to another 387 educated disabled.
Rs 40-120 is given to Day Scholars in classes 1 to postgraduate while Rs 60-170 to hostellers. While, Rs 100-200 is given to unemployed disabled who are in matriculation to postgraduate.
A proposal for increasing the amount of these scholarship and allowances was submitted to the state Government by Social Welfare Department in November 2012 and now the Government is mulling over it, the sources said.
If the Government endorses the proposal, then the Day Scholars will get an increased amount of Rs 300-650 and Rs 350-700 for the hostellers and Rs 300-700 for the unemployed educated disabled.
The proposal also urges for raising the amount of stipend paid to the readers. Presently, they get Rs 30-100 per month, but they will get Rs 250-400 if the proposal for revision of scholarship, allowance and stipend amount is approved and implemented by the Government.
It is most likely that the revised amount will be given from April this year if the consent of the state Government to the proposal is given soon for its implementation.
There are around 22 thousand differently- abled persons in Manipur and 50 percent of them have been recognized by the state Social Welfare Department by issuing certificates.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/unemployment-scholarship-may-be-hiked/
