Bhubaneswar: Opposition BJD and Congress MLAs walked out of the Assembly Tuesday, alleging that the BJP government in the state has scrapped the Anwesha Yojana, a flagship initiative that facilitates English medium education for SC and ST students.
Launched in 2015 by the previous BJD government, the scheme provides full financial support for SC and ST students from disadvantaged backgrounds to study in English medium private schools in urban areas.
The government bears the cost of tuition fees, uniforms, books, transportation, accommodation, and nutrition.
ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backwards Classes Welfare Minister Nityananda Gond clarified that the tenure of the scheme was valid only till the 2024–25 academic year, and it is currently under government review for extension.
Gond denied allegations of discontinuation, stating that a five-year review was mandatory.
Initiating the debate, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rama Chandra Kadam said it was shocking that a government headed by a tribal Chief Minister, Mohan Charan Majhi, was ‘denying’ rights and opportunities to tribal and Dalit children.
“The BJP government has stopped a scheme that created hope among tribals and Dalits.
This is the BJP government’s ‘Manuwadi’ attitude, aimed at keeping tribals and Dalits marginalised and hindering their progress,” he alleged.
Noting that 40 per cent of the state’s population were tribals and Dalits, Kadam said, “Our CM is a tribal, and therefore, we expected that STs and SCs would get their benefits.
But, things are totally different.” BJD MLA Ganeswar Behera said the dropout rate in Odisha came down to 18.1 per cent in 2023-24, from 33 per cent in 2021- 22, because of schemes such as Anwesha Yojana launched by the BJD government.
Replying to the Opposition’s charge, Gond said that the scheme was launched in 2015, and around 20,473 students are staying in different hostels and getting quality education across 17 districts.
“There has been no fresh admission in the 2025-26 academic year.
The scheme should be reviewed once in five years.
The tenure of the scheme was till 2024-25.
Now it is under consideration of the government for further extension,” he said.
“We have launched the Shahid Madho Singh Haath Kharcha scheme to arrest dropouts, and also many ST and SC students are studying in Eklavya schools.
The government runs residential schools for the tribal and Dalit students. We have also raised the scholarships for the ST and SC students,” he said.
