Rs 769 cr welfare schemes for slum dwellers, transgenders

BENGALURU:In the guise of social welfare boost to appease slum dwellers, women, transgenders and differently-abled people, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has targeted a major chunk of voters in its 2018-19 budget. A sum of Rs 769.24 crore (8.25 per cent of total budget) was announced for various social welfare schemes.

Among the proposals were multi-storeyed apartments for slum-dwellers, free bus passes for transgenders and medical assistance to specially challenged. For senior citizens, Rs 5 crore is earmarked to provide rooms to take rest and to construct halls for cultural programmes. Hundred senior citizens will be identified in each ward and will be given walking sticks. At BBMP hospitals, hypersensitive and diabetic medicines will be distributed to senior citizens for free. This year, Rs 10 lakh is allotted per ward for training in tailoring, knitting to women.

For construction of individual houses for slum dwellers, Rs 5 lakh will be allotted per family of backward and minority people.Under the specially-abled persons’ welfare programmes, Rs 63 crore is alloted. The budget also tries to woo transgenders. Their long-pending demand — free bus passes — too is proposed. They will be trained free of cost to drive light motor vehicles. This apart, they will also be given financial assistance for their education. A sum of Rs 9 crore has been allotted for the education of children of pourakarmikas and D group employees.