Bhopal, June 27: Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the State Commission for Welfare of the Poor of General Category would continue to work towards elimination of social discrimination and integrating the poor of general category with social mainstream. Chouhan was addressing a convention for welfare of the poor of general category organised at his residence here today.

The Minister for Social Justice and Women and Child Development Kusum Mehdele presided over the function attended among others by the chairman of Backward Classes Commission Babulal Kushwah Bhanpura, chairman of State Commission for Scheduled Castes Rameshwar Akhand, chairman of State Civil Supplies Corporation Jaswant Hada, Principal Secretary, Social Justice MK Rail and Commissioner, Pnachayats and Social Justice Mohan Rao.

The Chief Minister said he disagrees with the present definition of poverty line. The state Commission for Welfare of the Poor of General Category would organise a workshop of subject experts to actually define the poverty, Chouhan said stressing the need for a nation wide debate on definition of poverty.

Chouhan said that the state government is providing the benefits of Deen Dayal Antyodaya Upchar Yojana, Mukhya Mantri Majdoor Suraksha Yojana, Gaon Ki Beti and Mukhya Mantri Kanyadan and Ladali Laxami Yojanas to people of all sections without any distinction. Chouhan said that Madhya Pradesh is the first state to have launched scholarship for children of poor workers right from 1st standard. Under this, scholarship of Rs 50 is given to boys and Rs 75 to girls.

The chief Minister said that poverty and diseases do not know castes. The state government is committed to welfare of people of all castes and communities.

The Chief Minister made several announcements for the students of the poor families of general categories taking admission in middle, high schools and higher secondary schools and professional courses. These pertain to scholarships, free distribution of textbooks, cycles and incentive money. He said that the employment related facilities for the poor of general categories would be announced on July 8. The Chief Minister said that Swami Vivekanand pre-matric and post matric scholarships, Sudama stipend scheme, Veerangana Laxamibai cycle scheme, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam meritorious students incentive scheme and Vikramaditya free education schemes would be implemented. The Chief Minister also announced that a higher education loan guarantee fund would be set up to facilitate meritorious and talented poor students to obtain education loan. It would be known as Ma Saraswati Akshay Kosh.

Chouhan announced an Acharya Vidyasagar Gau Samvardhan Yojana for women of poor general category families. Under this, 10 thousand women would be associated with cow rearing. The chairman of the Commission Babulal Jain said that the Commission has presented its first report within 100 days of its inception. He said that lack of education is a major cause of poverty.

The Commission visited seven divisional headquarters and took meetings in 29 districts before preparing the report. It met the poor people of general category and listened to their problems.