The Salt Department gave away financial rewards to over 146 wards of salt workers under the Children Reward Scheme (CRS) here at the Kasturba Gandhi Kanya Gurukulam here recently.
Under the CRS, financial incentives are givento children clearing their final examinations in the first attempt. This includes cash awards of Rs.1,000, Rs.1,500 and Rs.2,000 to children promoted from standard 6 to 7, standard 9 to 10 and standard 11 to 12 respectively.
The awardees included 96 girls and 50 boys from 14 schools in and around Vedaranyam . Over 520 such rewards were given to children of salt workers in the Chennai region, comprising Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. This included 331 rewards sanctioned for Tuticorin. The Children's Reward Scheme was introduced in 1985 to promote literacy among children of salt labourers. Vedaranyam with an average annual production of three to four tonnes, is the second largest salt producing center next only to Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu. Over 3,000 workers are engaged in salt production while an equal number of workers are involved in allied activities such as packaging, iodising and crushing.
The salt department under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is involved in activities such as conducting health camps, construction of rest sheds, providing potable water, construction of dwelling units under the Namak Mazdoor Awaas Yojana(NMAY), creation of special wards in government hospitals, additional class rooms in government schools and organisation of sports meets.
