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20k schools in Jharkhand to be electrified by 2017, Ranchi
The state government has announced to electrify 20k schools by 2016-17 and is expected to see an expenditure of Rs. 401.74, along with insurance schemes and food security as primary targets, and constructution of roads in six districts.
The people of Ranchi gained a sigh of relief as the state government announced on Tuesday, that as many as 20,000 schools would be electrified by March 2017. "Switchboards, bulbs and fans will be procured by respective school management committees," said N N Pandey, interim spokesperson of the state cabinet. The entire project, spanning over two financial years, is expected to see an expenditure of up to Rs 401.74 crore.
The state cabinet headed by chief minister Raghubar Das gave his approval to the school education department's proposal to illuminate 6,000 primary and 14,469 middle schools and a total of 51 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas across the district by the end of 2016-17 . The government is considering an expenditure of about Rs 200 crore for the first phase. Health insurance schemes will be subsidized for families with annual incomes less than Rs 72,000. The state government will pay a premium for medical insurance for critical diseases (having a cover of Rs 2.5 lakh) and non-critical diseases (with a cover of Rs 50,000).
"BPL families, MGNREGA workers, domestic workers, beedi workers, street vendors, railway porters, old age pension beneficiaries, rickshaw pullers, auto drivers and beneficiaries of food security act will be the primary targets," Pandey said. However, APL families availing the insurance schemes will need to pay the premium.
The government will bring in Bhopal-based Indian Institute of Forest Management to conduct a study of the state's forest resources to understand the prospects of minor forest produce and its contribution to the state's GDP. A budget of Rs 216 crore was approved by the Cabinet to rehibilitate land losers for the first phase of the core-capital project in the HEC area. The government also earmarked for the construction and strengthening of roads in six districts.
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