Srinagar, Aug 5: Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha Friday announced the government’s decision of extending various provisions under the Public Services Guarantee Act (PSGA) completely through online mode.
An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that on the sidelines of an event, the LG said that online public services were now linked with timelines laid down under the PSGA.
“The defaulting officers will be served notices for failure in automated online mode, and linked with penal provisions,” he said. “August 5 will be celebrated as 'J&K Bhrashtachar Mukti Diwas,’” he said.
Earlier, Sinha launched major initiatives with a vision for a prosperous tribal community.
He inaugurated eight tribal hostels built at Rs 26 crore and laid the foundation stones for Rs 100 crore worth 25 tribal hostels.
The occasion witnessed the launch of a series of initiatives by the LG including a coaching programme for NEET and JEE and competitive examinations under TOP 50, Host 50, and Stars 100 schemes.
Top-20 meritorious tribal students received laptops for their outstanding performance in the matriculation exam.
Besides this, the top two students were given a cash award of Rs 1 lakh each while tablet computers and sports kits were distributed among hostel students.
Smart Cards were distributed among the Migratory Tribal Population to ensure their smooth seasonal migration.
Sinha also flagged off an exposure tour of 200 tribal hostel students to various parts of the country under ‘Bharat Ko Jano’ programme that would instill the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ among the tribal youth.
Dedicating new initiatives to the people of the tribal community, he said that the schemes by the Tribal Affairs Department would unleash the productive potential of the youth, and the holistic development of the tribal community free from all discrimination, fear, and insecurity.
Expressing gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi for securing the rights of the tribal community in J&K, the LG reiterated the government’s commitment to empowering the tribal population of J&K who were neglected for decades.
“We are working with a resolve to make the development process holistic, universal, and impacting all sections of the society. For the first time in the history of J&K, the tribal population is feeling fully integrated, and connected with the mainstream of development. For the first time, their voice is being heard and they have been given their due rights,” he said. “The initiatives launched today are part of the continuous endeavours of the government to promote the welfare of the tribal community and ensure that the present and future generations of the community have all the facilities which their previous generations were deprived of.”
“Dedicated focus is being given towards facilitating best education to the new generation of the tribal community. We expanded the scope of pre-matric scholarships to 1.5 lakh students and 12,500 children were selected for the post-matric scholarship. Rs 50.62 crore worth of scholarships are being given for the education of the children of the tribal community, which is a big record in itself,” the LG said. “We are also spending Rs 40 crore to convert 200 schools in tribal areas into smart schools. Till March 31, 100 schools have been converted into smart schools and the work of the remaining 100 schools will also be completed soon.”
He said that under the initiatives of Host-50 and Top-50, 100 meritorious students of the tribal community, including 45 girls would be provided coaching for the first time in Government Empanelled Institutes for NEET and JEE exams, besides scholarships worth Rs 70,000 to Rs 75,000 per year would be given to those who crack the competitive examinations.
Sinha said that 100 tribal youth aspiring for civil services exams like UPSC and JKAS would get quality coaching in the reputed institutes under the Stars-100 scheme, and the administration would bear the expenses of tuition fees, and study material for the talented tribal graduates belonging to poor families.
“Moreover, 2000 tribal youths will be trained in formal skill development in different professions, and many such youths who have already taken informal training in any occupation will also be certified,” he said. “In yet another important step, pre-matric scholarships for the tribal communities have been on-boarded on the National Scholarship Portal. Now, the scholarship amount will be transferred directly to the accounts of 10,000 tribal students in a completely transparent manner. Besides, we have taken a step forward to encourage sports culture among the tribal youth.”
At the event, it was informed that under the ‘Technology Enabled Education Scheme’, tablet computers preloaded with course-wise study material distributed to 800 tribal hostel students of 10th, 12th, and PG would prove to be an important factor in promoting digital literacy among the youth of the tribal community.
A video clip on reformative measures taken by the government for students of the tribal population of J&K was displayed on the occasion, besides the testimonials of several tribal children expressing their feelings after benefiting from various initiatives dedicated to children of the tribal community.
Besides handing over cash prizes and felicitating meritorious students belonging to the tribal community of J&K and providing them with laptops, tablet computers, and sports kits, the LG also felicitated the wardens of tribal hostels for their continuous support to students in their education journey.
On the occasion, Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta said that the government was taking dedicated steps and initiatives for the tribal people.
“The laptop and tablets provided to students would make them able to script a bright future with their hard work and determination,” he said.
Secretary to the Government, Tribal Affairs Department, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary in his welcome address gave details of the inauguration of various major initiatives for the tribal community of J&K.
Principal Secretary School Education B K Singh, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Pandurang K Pole besides a large number of students from the tribal community, their wardens, and members of the tribal community were present during the ceremony of major initiatives of the Tribal Affairs Department.
