Presenting the annual budget, Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy on Wednesday, March 12, announced new welfare schemes for the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) communities. The annual budget estimate of Rs 13,600 crore also lists an improved monthly financial assistance for women falling below the poverty line and welfare schemes for government school students, among others.
The Chief Minister announced that Rs 526.81 crore under the SC sub plan will be used to provide Rs 3,000 as monthly assistance to unemployed SC/ST women who are either widowed or unmarried and above 30 years of age. The assistance will be disbursed until they are either married or employed, the CM said.
He also announced financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to orphaned children belonging to the SC/ST communities. The assistance will be extended until they attain 18 years of age. A stipend will also be awarded to encourage SC/ST students who enrol in computer, type-writing or shorthand classes, the government announced.
For the upcoming academic year (2025-2026), the government has also allocated Rs 9.3 crore to provide Rs 1,000 as special monthly assistance to all students who enrol in colleges after completing classes 6-12 in government schools.
Under a new scheme, school students pursuing education in government or government aided schools, who have lost either of their parents, will be eligible for financial assistance. The scheme government has announced Rs 2,000 for students studying in classes 1-5, Rs 3,000 for students in classes 6-10, and Rs 4,000 for students in classes 11 and 12.
Government schools will also serve eggs on all days under the Mid-Day Meal scheme as opposed to serving eggs only three-days a week, Rangasamy said.
The monthly financial assistance for women has also been increased to Rs 2,500 from Rs 1,000 by the Puducherry government and an increase of Rs 500 has been announced in the old age pension scheme.
These two improvements in financial assistance came with the announcement that every ration card holder will be provided with 2 kg rice every month. This is in addition to the free rice scheme that already exists in the Union Territory.