Fund set up for poor students

Moved by the plight of a poor engineering girl student who worked as a domestic help to continue education, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today announced setting up of fund to help at least 1,000 such meritorious students pursuing higher education.

"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 today's cabinet meeting.

He said a four-member committee led by writer Dr Siddalingaiah, Prof Dorai Swamy Naidu, K Narahari and Vinay Hegde (all from 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 membes, he said. On learning about the ordeal the student Manjula went through to mobilise resources for her studies, Yeddyurappa two days ago offerred 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 to avail free dialysis and transplant surgery at the state run Neurology Centre. Yeddyurappa announced Rs 50 lakh grant for the scheme and said 100 poor patients would get free dialysis.