Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while addressing the virtual rally of Other Backward Classes Morcha of Organisational district Nurpur from Shimla today said that the state government has enhanced the annual income limit to Rs. 8 lakh for identifying the non-creamy layer amongst the Other Backward Classes so that maximum number of people of this category could draw benefit of various schemes launched by the state government for their welfare.
The Chief Minister said that the government has allocated Rs. 88 crore under the Backward Area Sub-Plan during the current financial year. The Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation has disbursed loans to the tune of Rs 9.72 crore to about 336 beneficiaries of the OBC categories to start self-employment ventures in small trade, agriculture and allied activities and transport etc.
Jai Ram Thakur said that the state government was providing study loans up to Rs 10 lakh to students of OBC categories at a low interest rate of four percent. For the girl students, the rate of interest has been fixed at 3.5 percent, he added.
He said that the state government has launched HIMCARE scheme to provide health insurance cover to the families not covered under Ayushman Bharat Yojna launched by the Union Government. Till date, as many as 85,800 people have been provided financial assistance of Rs 76.85 crores under the scheme. He said that under Sahara Yojna, 6550 beneficiaries have been provided assistance of Rs 3.45 crore. He said that 2.76 lakh free gas connections have been provided to eligible women under the Grihini Suvidha Yojna and 1.36 lakh free connections have been given under Ujjawala Yojna in the State.
