Bengal to introduce bill for reservation in higher education

The West Bengal government plans to introduce reservation of seats for STs, SCs and OBCs in higher education, for which a bill would be introduced in the coming budget session of state Assembly, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said. The Chief Minister, however, made it clear that seats for the general category students would not be shrinked while implementing the reservation and additional infrastructure would be created at an expenditure of Rs 1000 crore, out of which Rs 600 crore would be spent annually.

The cabinet in the meeting on Wednesday also approved the introduction of the Paschim Banga Lok Pariseba Bill which, Banerjee said at the state secretariat, would ensure proper and prompt services from government departments like issue of birth and death certificates, driving licenses, ration and BPL cards among others.

She said that a scheme for the girl child, Kanya Shri, would also be introduced to coincide with the International Women's Day which falls on March eight every year.

Banerjee also announced that the government would give scholarships to girl children whose father's annual income was within Rs 50,000, with Rs 500 each year from class eight to ten.

On completion of 18 years, the girl would be given an one-time sum of Rs 25,000, she said.