Government to spend on higher education of children of widows : CM

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while presiding over the state level meeting of Ekal Nari Sangathan function here today, emphasized on the government's unwavering commitment to the welfare of the underprivileged sections of the society. He said that 40,000 new beneficiaries under the social security pension scheme would be added during next financial year and an additional expenditure of Rs. 70 crore would be spent on the same. At present, approximately Rs.1,260 crore has been allocated for the scheme which benefits 7,84,000 individuals, including the elderly, widows, single women, disabled, and leprosy patients, said the Chief Minister.
He said that a new initiative, the "Mukhya Mantri Sukh-Shiksha Yojana", would be implemented in the state in the coming fiscal to support the education of children of widows till they attain the age of 27 years. The income criteria for availing benefits of this scheme would be below rupees one lakh annually. He said that Mukhya Mantri Sukh-Shiksha Yojana would cover expenses for various higher education courses including medical, engineering, NITs, IIMs, IITs, nursing, graduation, and post-graduation.
Additionally, Rs. 1,000 per month would be deposited in the recurring deposit accounts of the eligible children until they reach 18 years of age. The State Government would also cover the annual health insurance premium for eligible women and this initiative would entail approximately Rs. 41 crore as additional expenditure.
Under the scheme, the state government would also provide financial support to widows for constructing their own homes and provisions for essential amenities such as electricity, water and other facilities for the newly built houses would be made, he remarked.
A Centre of Excellence for Education of Persons with Disabilities would be set up at Kandaghat in Solan district to provide higher education opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the state, he said.  It will offer comprehensive facilities including playgrounds, residential accommodations, and more for individuals with disabilities till 27 years of age. Financial assistance for rented accommodation will also be given to such eligible Divyang children who do not have any place or home to live in, he said. 
MLA Harish Janartha, Deputy Commissioner Shimla Anupam Kashyap and representatives of the Ekal Nari Sangathan were also present on the occasion.