Kolkata: The West Bengal government plans to introduce reservation for STs, SCs and OBCs in higher education, for which a bill would be introduced in the coming budget session of the state assembly, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister, however, made it clear that seats for the general category students would not decrease while implementing the reservation and additional infrastructure would be created at an expenditure of Rs 1,000 crore, out of which Rs 600 crore would be spent annually.
She said that a scheme for the girl child, Kanya Shri, would also be introduced to coincide with the International Women’s Day which falls on March 8 every year.
Banerjee also announced that the government would give scholarships to girl children whose father’s annual income was within Rs 50,000, with Rs 500 each year from class eight to 10.
On completion of 18 years, the girl would be given an one-time sum of Rs 25,000, she said. PTI
