Times of India: Lucknow: Tuesday,
March 12, 2013.
The government
has spent more on organising functions to distribute unemployment allowance
than on the popular scheme itself. The fulfilment of one of the key poll
promises of the SP government, which is to financially empower the 'unemployed'
youth of the state, has cost the state exchequer Rs 12.5 crore. In response to
an RTI query, the government said that between March and November 2012, while
the government handed over Rs 8.5 crore as unemployment allowance to the youth,
it spent Rs 12.5 crore on organising functions and making arrangements for the
distribution of allowance in the same period.
The
government, in an official release issued on Monday, said that under the
unemployment allowance scheme about Rs 420.95 crore has been distributed among
the selected beneficiaries till March 9, 2013.
A total of
12,34,000 applications have been received from the aspirants, out of which
11,74,064 aspirants have been selected as beneficiaries. The work for the
electronic transfer of the allowance to the beneficiaries is currently under
progress. The unemployment allowance scheme assures a monthly allowance of Rs
1000 to beneficiaries. The high school passed unemployed in the age group of
25-40 years and whose family income is less than Rs 36,000 annually are
eligible to get the allowance.
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