Govt. yet to refund educational expenses of 461 children of farmers who ended their lives due to drought in Karnataka

Karnataka authorities has not paid the acquisition expenses of arsenic galore arsenic 461 children of farmers who ended their lives owed to drought successful the State implicit the past 5 years.

From the world twelvemonth of 2020-21 to 2024-25, a full of 797 students, the children of farmers who ended their lives owed to drought crossed the State, person applied for their educational expenses. Of these, lone 336 students person been paid a full of ₹45.94 lakh.

Responding to a question raised by Member of Legislative Council (MLC) from Janata Dal (Secular) Govindaraju successful this regard, astatine the ongoing legislature session, Minister for School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa said that the acquisition expenses of the remaining 461 students were pending owed to non-submission of proposals from the respective districts.

The authorities has been bearing the full acquisition expenses, including hostel charges, of children of farmers who ended their lives owed to drought successful the State since 2016-17. Between 2017-18 and 2024-25, the DSEL received 1,589 applications of which 1,128 applicants person got their refund.

Following applications made by the students, the territory level DSEL officials person to taxable a connection to the State authorities with documents, including certified copies of names of the parents successful the Students Achievement Tracking System (SATS) and decease certificate of the husbandman genitor who ended his/her life. In the lawsuit of these 461 students, specified proposals person not been submitted from the districts.

The School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC) Association has condemned the lackadaisical cognition of the DSEL officials and demanded that the acquisition expenses of each 461 students beryllium instantly refunded. “Children who person mislaid their parents are already successful distress. The negligence of the DSEL officials astatine the territory level is inhumane. The authorities should instrumentality contiguous enactment to refund these expenses to each eligible students and instrumentality enactment against officials who caused this delay,” said Umesh G. Gangavadi, State president, SDMC Association.

(Those who are successful distress and having suicidal tendencies tin question assistance from Arogya Sahayavani Ph:104)