J-K govt releases over 200 Cr under various schemes: Official

Jammu and Kashmir government has released over Rs 200 crore under various financial assistance schemes for the students and elderly persons in the state, a senior official said here today.
"Under post-matric scholarship scheme, an amount of Rs 3.26 crore for 3,235 students belonging to Scheduled Tribe category and Rs 2.90 crore for 3,105 students belonging to Scheduled Castes category had been released till January 2015," an official Raj Bhawan spokesman said here today.
He said "Rs 1.12 crore for 2,472 beneficiaries belonging to Pahari-speaking people category and Rs 2.20 crore for 2,325 students belonging to other backward classes had also been released".

The official said from the financial year 2015-16 the scholarships of the deserving students will be transferred through direct benefit transfer mode.
Governor N N Vohra reviewed the activities of the social welfare department and directed the officials of the department to personally review the timely release of assistance to various categories of persons who are beneficiaries of the different schemes.
He said the Governor also reviewed the disbursement of financial assistance extended under the national social assistance programme (NSAP), integrated social security scheme (ISSS), post-matric scholarship and pre-matric scholarship schemes.

"During the review meeting, it was informed that upto January 2015, Pre-Matric Scholarships of Rs 40.32 crore has been provided to 3,28,060 students belonging to the minority communities, Rs 9.90 crore given to 1,09,000 students belonging to Pahari-speaking people category and Rs 0.39 crore for 1,773 students belonging to Scheduled Castes category," he said.

Under the Integrated Social Security Scheme (ISSS), an amount of Rs 97.61 crore has been disbursed to 4,22,500 old aged persons, women in distress and physically challenged persons, he said.
"Similarly under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) an assistance of Rs 45.19 crore to 1, 50,883 old-aged persons, widows and physically-challenged persons living Below the Poverty Line has been relaesed," he said.