In a joint initiative, the Union Social Justice and Empowerment ministry in association with the Tripura state government has introduced a pre-matric scholarship for the children of the cleaning workers of Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC)

In a joint initiative, the Union Social Justice and Empowerment ministry in association with the Tripura state government has introduced a pre-matric scholarship for the children of the cleaning workers of Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC).

Addressing a press conference here at Council hall on Saturday, AMC Mayor Dipak Majumder accompanied by deputy mayor Manika Das Datta, special secretary of Labour department Abhishek Chandra and AMC Commissioner Dr Shailesh Kymar Yadav said that the scheme has been introduced to give better education facilities and improve the socio-economic status of the children of cleaning workers of AMC.

He said that the children of cleaning workers from all communities will get the facility and the scheme has been started in the financial year 2021-22 and will continue up to 2025-26.

He said that at present the AMC has 2,580 ‘Safai’ workers and all children of these cleaning workers will get the facilities and they will get a prosperous life through their education.

Under the scheme, the students who are studying from their respective homes will get Rs. 3500 per annum and those who are studying in hostels will get Rs. 7500 from class-one to two standard and students from class 3 to 10th , will get the scholarship of Rs. 8000 per year.

Mayor said that to enroll the names of all children of 2580 cleaning workers of AMC in the National Scholarship portal, necessary instruction has been issued. He said that AMC has also introduced Health Card facilities for its cleaning workers and till date 500 cleaning workers have already received their health cards and by December end, all the remaining workers of 2580 will get their respective health cards. As per the direction of the Union government, all the cleaning workers have been given the health insurance facilities and soon, the AMC will renovate the health centre located at Durga Choumohani area of the city to provide better health facilities to all of its workers.

Speaking in the press meet, special secretary Abhishek Chandra said that the government of India so far sanctioned Rs. 6 crore and till date, the department has received 1087 applications for scholarship.