Moved by the plight of a poor engineering girl student who worked as a domestic help to mobilise resources for her studies, Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa on Friday announced setting up of a fund to help at least 1,000 such meritorious students pursuing higher education every year.
“Five to 10 per cent of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund will be diverted to the new fund. Donations will also be sought from philanthropists and industrialists to help poor students,” he told reporters after taking a decision to this effect at the cabinet meeting.
He said a four-member committee led by writer Siddalingaiah, Prof Dorai Swamy Naidu, K. Narahari and Vinay Hegde (all from the education field) would be set up to identify 1,000 students every year who were in need of financial support. The committee might be enlarged with the inclusion of a few more members, he said.
On learning about the ordeal, student Manjula went through to mobilise resources for her studies, Mr. Yeddyurappa, two days ago, offered her Rs. 25,000 and had promised to draw up a scheme for helping those students who are in financial distress.
He also announced another health scheme “Chief Minister’s Kidney Suraksha Yojane” to help poor patients with kidney ailments who can avail free dialysis and transplant surgery at the state run Neurology Centre.
Mr. Yeddyurappa announced Rs. 50 lakh grant for the scheme and said 100 poor patients would get free dialysis treatment.
