Bengaluru: Continuing his government’s welfare programmes for the Dalit community in a State that is going to polls in 2018, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah has announced free bus passes for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students all over the State.

Chairing the meeting of the Karnataka Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan and Scheduled Tribe Sub-Plan of the Social Welfare Department at Vidhana Soudha yesterday, Siddharamaiah directed authorities of the Transport Department to provide bus passes free of cost to SC/ST students studying in schools, colleges and Universities. The scheme will be implemented from this academic year.

Presently, the students are bearing 25 per cent of the cost of the subsidised bus pass. It will now be made fully free. The move is expected to entail an additional cost of Rs. 104 crore which would be provided from the SC and ST Development Corporations, the CM said.

The CM also announced that eggs will be distributed for girl students of SC and ST communities for them to consume protein-rich food. He suggested the officials to come out with a programme to serve eggs free of cost as part of the diet for girl students in SC/ST government hostels at least four days a week (16 eggs in a month).

Officials who have failed to meet the target in implementing SC/ST welfare programmes came under fire at the meeting. Siddharamaiah asked Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya to issue notices to such officers.

The Chief Minister warned that officials who fail to utilise funds for the programmes would face stringent action. He congratulated officials who have shown good performance in implementing the programmes.

Siddharamaiah wanted the officials to speed up implementation of housing projects for SC/ST communities. He emphasised on realising his mission of providing own houses for every SC/ST family in the State. He conveyed his displeasure at the conditions in many SC/ST and Backward Class student hostels being run by the Social Welfare Department and the food being served to students there.

He directed all department heads to utilise the allocated amount before March 31, 2018. Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya, Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T.B. Jayachandra and Chief Secretary Subhash Chandra Khuntia participated in the meeting.