Nitish govt announces Rs.25K tablet perk for SC-ST 'Vikas Mitras'
PATNA, Sept. 22 -- In yet another major pre-poll announcement, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday announced that over 10,000 'Vikas Mitras', who work in the villages to reach the benefits of government schemes to SCs and STs, would be given a one-time allowance of Rs.25,000 each for purchasing tablets so that they can do their work effectively.
These Vikas Mitras (development volunteers) work under the Bihar Mahadalit Development Mission.
The incentives include Rs.25,000 one-time amount for purchase of tablets, increase in transportation allowance from Rs.1,900/month to Rs.2,500/month and the stationery allowance from Rs.900 to Rs.1,500.
"This will provide them convenience in area visits as well as in the collection of documents, as they play a key role in reaching the benefits of various development and welfare schemes of the government to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories," the CM said in his post on X.
The Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Mission, set up by the Nitish government in 2008 to improve the quality of life for the Mahadalit community, especially to push their educational and social status, had appointed Vikas Mitras at the bottom of the official hierarchy to facilitate the implementation of government schemes at the field level block by directly reaching out to the targeted groups.
There are around 9,000 Vikas Mitras working at the panchayat and ward level in the state, with Musahars, often described as Dalits among Dalits, positioned as 'change agents' for their community. Under the Vikas Mitra scheme, half the positions were reserved for women.
In another upliftment measure for the marginalised sections, the CM announced that Rs.10,000 each would be provided to education workers (including Talimi Markaz) for purchasing smartphones to carry out digital activities and the amount being paid under the teaching material head would be increased from Rs.3,405 per year to Rs.6,000 per year.
"The education workers play an important role in providing the benefits of education to children of Mahadalit, Dalit, minority, and extremely backward classes and in making women literate under the Akshar Aanchal scheme," he added.
In 2013, the Bihar government had increased the education volunteers under Talimi Markaz, numbering around 27,000.
Kumar said that the initiatives would boost the morale of Vikas Mitras and education workers, and they will perform their duties with greater enthusiasm and dedication.
"Our government is continuously working for the uplift of the deprived sections of society by following the principle of development with justice," he added.
Earlier this month, chief minister had announced significant hike in the honorarium of Anganwadi workers and Anganwadi helpers, numbering around 200,000, besides increasing honorarium to cooks preparing mid-day meal schemes for students in the government schools, night guards working in the secondary and higher secondary schools, physical education and health instructors as well as thousands of homeguard jawans.
Last week, he had announced interest waiver on the loan now given to all applicants for higher education under the student credit card scheme and increase in the number of monthly instalments for repayments....
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