Economic assistance to weaker sections: Mayawati

Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Government will provide economic assistance to people belonging to backward classes, weaker sections, minorities and poor people of upper castes, Chief Minister Mayawati said.Keeping this in view, arrangements had been made to provide monetary help to educationally, socially and economically backward sections, she said.The CM made the announcement recently while reviewing progress of various welfare schemes being implemented by the Backward Classes Welfare Department.Directing officers to distribute scholarship among students of the backward classes, Maywati said a sum of Rs 83,933.78 lakh had been arranged for this purpose this year. As many as 1,90,58,236 students would be beneficiaries.Rs 716.52 lakh had been allocated to construct 14 hostels during 2009-10 to provide housing facilities to poor students of backward classes.The government had raised the limit of creamy layer to Rs 5 lakh, making a large number of students beneficiaries.