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NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 24:
 

        State government has announced various developmental measures such as improving the standard of education, appointing a new Directorate for Minorities Welfare, and constructing more court buildings.

        State Finance Minister K Anbazhagan who presented the budget in the Assembly yesterday said that to encourage Tamil as medium of education, students studying in Tamil Medium in X and XII standards would be exempted from payment of fees for the public examination. From this academic year, 100 middle schools would be upgraded as high schools and 80 high schools as higher secondary schools.

        He further said computer laboratories would be established in all 1,880 government higher secondary schools at a cost of Rs 118 crore.

        To improve the fluency of students in spoken English, English language laboratories would be established at a cost of Rs 130 lakh, he added.

        New Directorate for Minorities

        The Finance Minister said the government would form a new Directorate for Minorities Welfare for their socio-economic development.

        Anbazhagan said, 'As regards the economic and educational backwardness of the minorities, referred to in the report of the Justice Rajindar Sachar Committee constituted by the Union government, the State government would make efforts to ensure due representation for them in all spheres.'

        He further said the government was determined to promote and safeguard the rights granted to the minorities under the Constitution of India.

        With a view to equipping minorities with necessary skills to secure employment in the government and private sector, Anbazhagan said the government would launch Skill Development Training Scheme for Minorities in the coming year at a cost of Rs 250 lakh. The scheme would be implemented through the Tamilnadu Minorities Economic Development Corporation. Under this scheme, he said 5,000 young men and women belonging to minority communities would be provided training in various vocations such as information technology- enabled services and ready-made garment- making.

        New Fast Track Courts

        Finance Minister also announced construction of court buildings and residential quarters at an estimated cost of Rs.125 crore. The first phase of the work would be taken up in the next financial year.

        He recalled that the Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had announced construction of necessary court buildings and adequate residential quarters for judicial officers at a total cost of Rs 300 crore. The work would be executed in a phased manner in the coming four years, he said and added that 50 Fast Track Courts would be set up. And new courts would be constituted if need arises, he further said.