Poverty alleviation project gets Maharashtra Cabinet nod

The Maharashtra Cabinet has cleared several components of 'Project Unite', which is aimed at reorienting the Budget to alleviate poverty and institute a mechanism for integrating social justice with development planning.

The project was announced by state finance minister Jayant Patil in his 2003-2004 Budget speech. The project seeks to utilise Rs 125 crore in the current fiscal year.

Confirming that 'project unite' was on the agenda, a senior government official said, "The project seeks to eliminate social inequities and poverty through offering educational support as well as vocational avenues to the weaker sections of the society. A budgetary allocation over the next five years is sought to be made for meeting these targets and in excess of Rs 3,000 crore would be spent over this period."

As announced in the budget speech, the project includes several components such as extending the scholarships to 3 lakh girls in standards VIII to X and belonging to the backward classes.

Currently, the scholarships are being given only to the girls studying up to eight standard. The scholarship amount will also be raised to Rs 100 per month. This component of the project will cost Rs 30 crore to the state's exchequer annually.

Similarly, Rs 6.5 crore was allocated for issuing excellence grants of Rs 300 per month as well as awards to students achieving distinction in their tenth and twelfth standard examinations.

This project unite seeks to increase the capacity of government hostels by 4,000 seats to make up for the rising demand. Similarly, upgradation programmes in these hostels by providing them with an adequately equipped library, supplemental coaching, sporting facilities and a computer cell would collectively cost Rs 25 crore to the exchequer.