Thiruvananthapuram: Cycle for poor girls back this year

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thiruvananthapuram Corporation’s budget this year has a project rejected by the District Planning Committee last year, offering cycles for girl students in Class X from economically weaker households. Corporation’s finance committee chairperson Rakhi Ravikumar feels that a slight modification this time — the girl students will be from families dependent on fishing — will help it sail through. The deputy mayor says, “DPC had raised an objection as last year’s project did not fit the guidelines for welfare projects. This year there should not be a problem.”

Those under general category are not eligible to be beneficiaries of welfare projects under People’s Planning, according to officials. The fishing community has been in principle made eligible for ST welfare projects by Decentralised Planning State Level Coordination Committee. However, there is no clarity on who among the fishing community can be included as beneficiaries. The District Planning Committee has asked the coordination committee to define the beneficiary. Whether there will be an income limit; whether only traditional fishers will be considered; whether the beneficiary should be a registered fisher – these are questions which the coordination committee needs to consider.

For years, certain traditional fishing communities, including those in Kerala, have been campaigning for an amendment to the Constitution, to recognise them as scheduled caste or tribe. This has not been realised. The decision to include fishing folk as beneficiaries in people’s planning welfare projects for ST has been appreciated in the council; way before it is passed. In fact, when the budget was being discussed councillors, assuming that this was passed, had factored in the amount available in various schemes for fishing communities. Sources in the corporation say that in a week’s time, there will be clarity, as State Planning Board is about to discuss the issue.