Gurugram, Apr 13 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday said all SC and OBC students from the state enrolled in medical and engineering courses in any government college across the country will be given full scholarship and a portal will be created for this.

He was speaking as chief guest at a programme organised by All India Saini Seva Samaj in Gurugram on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.

“The state government has increased the income limit of creamy layer for Backward Classes from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh annually and has given reservation to Backward Class-B in Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies. In addition, loans up to Rs 15 lakh for studies in the country and up to Rs 20 lakh for studies abroad are given to children of Backward Class families with annual income of up to Rs 3 lakh at 4 per cent annual interest,” Saini said.

Wishing people on Vaisakhi festival, the chief minister said it is also the birth anniversary of Phule, who was a great social reformer, thinker, writer and philosopher. On the occasion, Saini also paid tribute to those who were martyred by the British army at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar.

Saini said Mahatma Jyotiba Phule worked to awaken the country and society at a time when India was in the shackles of slavery.

“He devoted his entire life to stop child marriage, support widow remarriage, giving women the right to education, eliminating untouchability and empowering the society. He raised his voice for education of girls, widow remarriage and Dalit upliftment at a time when it was difficult to even think about them. He used to say that only education can uplift a person and a society,” he said.

The chief minister said Mahatma Phule’s ideals give us a direction, in accordance with which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has formed the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’.

He appealed to people to educate their children, saying that would be a true tribute to Mahatma Phule.

Saini also described the state government as farmer-friendly.

He said Haryana is the first state in the country which decided to buy 100 per cent crops of farmers at Minimum Support Price.

Under the state government’s ‘Har-Ghar Grihini Yojana’, gas cylinders are being given to 17 lakh poor families every month for Rs 500, he said. PTI COR RUK RUK