Pic: Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (DV)

Mangaluru, Dec 2: "The demand for hostel facilities for the students of the backward classes will be fulfilled by the end of the year. Hence, the government is making all the arrangements for hostels, " said Social Welfare and Backward Classes Welfare minister Kota Srinivas Poojary.

Addressing a press meet here on Friday, December 2, he said at present under the backward classes department there were 2439 hostels which accommodated nearly two lakh students. Still, there is demand for hostel facilities for 1.2 lac students, he said.

He said the government has allocated Rs 100 crore to provide basic facilities in such hostels.

The minister said hostels will be constructed in the name of Deendayal Upadhyaya to accommodate 1,000 students each in Dakshina Kannada, Kalburgi, Belagavi, Bengaluru and Mysuru.

The minister said state government is constructing 50 Kanakadasa Vidyalayas and 100 Ambedkar hostels.

Pre-training for the army is being given in Uttara Kannada, Udupi and other districts. There is a demand to extend the facility to Shivamogga, and Chitradurga districts, he said.

As of now 80 of them are getting trained in Mangaluru, 60 in Uttara Kannada and 65 of them in Udupi. This training will be for a period of four months. This will be helpful in recruitment for the Indian Army. Retired officers will train the youth, he said.

The government has sanctioned Vidhyanidhi programme for the children of tailors. A convention of tailors will be organised in Mangaluru for the purpose and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will be invited for the programme, the minister said.