Hostel students from SC, ST, OBC families to get subsidised foodgrain
New Delhi, April 23: Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday said hostel students belonging to SC, ST and OBC families will be entitled to 15 kg of foodgrain per month at subsidised rates.
Under the new PDS scheme, which will be rolled out at the earliest, over one crore students from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes will benefit.
"It is a historic step. Under the scheme, students from these communities, where their strength is two third of the total number of hostel students, will be given 15 kg food grain. If the rice is priced at Rs 30 per kg in open market, the students will get it for Rs 6," Paswan told reporters here.
"We have asked the states to send us the list of beneficiaries as soon as possible. Also, the states will have to decide the type of foodgrain to be distributed. The Centre will bear all expenses on the subsidy."
He said 13 lakh tonnes of foodgrain was allotted under the scheme.
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Bihar govt to constitute 100 fast-track courts to expedite disposal of criminal cases: Home min
Patna (PTI): Bihar Home Minister Samrat Choudhary on Sunday announced that the state government will establish 100 fast-track courts (FTCs) to ensure the swift disposal of pending cases.
He said that the move also aims to ease the burden on regular courts for them to accord due attention to sensitive cases.
Choudhary said the decision in this regard has been made considering that over 18 lakh cases are pending before different courts in the state.
The constitution of FTCs will "bring in a big relief" to the judicial system and litigants, he said.
"To operationalise 100 FTCs across 38 districts and sub-divisions, the government will undertake large-scale recruitment," the home minister asserted in a statement.
He said that a total of 900 posts, including those of bench clerks, office clerks, stenographers, deposition writers, data entry operators, drivers, process servers and peons, will be filled.
Choudhary also announced that 79 courts will be designated as 'act courts' to fast-track cases related to the Arms Act. Swift resolution of such serious cases, he said, will strengthen law and order in the state.
The minister said that Patna alone will get eight fast-track courts, while four courts each will be set up in Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga and Bhagalpur. Three FTCs each are planned for Nalanda (Bihar Sharif), Rohtas (Sasaram), Saran (Chhapra), Begusarai, Vaishali (Hajipur), East Champaran (Motihari), Samastipur and Madhubani.
Similarly, two courts each will be established in West Champaran (Bettiah), Saharsa, Purnea, Munger, Nawada, Jehanabad, Arwal, Aurangabad, Kaimur (Bhabhua), Buxar, Bhojpur (Arrah), Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Siwan, Gopalganj, Supaul, Madhepura, Araria, Kishanganj, Katihar, Banka, Jamui, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai and Khagaria. One FTC each is also proposed for the sub-divisional courts of Naugachia and Bagaha.
