Una, September 16- Himachal government provides financial assistance under the education loan scheme to youth belonging to scheduled caste and tribe to pursue education in technical subjects and professions after matriculation. Under this scheme, there is a provision to provide loan up to 75 thousand rupees interest free and loan from 75 thousand to 1.5 lakh rupees at 4 to 5 percent annual rate. Under the scheme, parents and guardians of the applicant student are also co-borrowers.
This loan is provided only to students of those families whose family annual income is less than 3 lakhs. This scheme also provides loan facility for diploma and degree courses like JBT, MBBS, Engineering, one year Hotel Management, MBA, GAMS, MS, Nursing etc. Along with this, the recovery of loan starts two years after the completion of the course or on getting a job, whichever is earlier.
This information was given by the theatre group R.K. Kalamanch Chintpurni, associated with the Department of Information and Public Relations, on Tuesday, the third day of the first phase, while making the villagers aware through songs, music and street plays in Pirthipur Lower and Chalet Upper villages of Gagret subdivision. The artists told that the education loan scheme helps the students of SC and ST category to move forward financially and fulfill their dreams.
They also informed the villagers about the Chief Minister Sukh Ashray Yojana, Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana, Indira Gandhi Sukh Suraksha Yojana as well as other welfare schemes. Apart from this, the artists especially stressed on drug prevention and called drug addiction a serious evil of the society and appealed to the people to stay away from drugs and make the society aware about it.

*Special campaign launched to promote government schemes
It is worth mentioning that the state government is running various schemes and programs under the leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu for the socio-economic upliftment of Scheduled Castes, Tribes and Other Backward Classes. To take them to every village, a special public awareness campaign has been launched through cultural groups so that the benefits of public welfare schemes can be ensured to every eligible person.

*Schedule of awareness programs
In this series, awareness programs will be organized in Chowki and Dhawali on 17th and in Tyaar and Boul of Bangana on 18th September. Whereas, in the second phase, awareness programs will be organized by Purvi Kalamanch Jalgran Tabba from 6th to 10th October.
In this, on October 6, in Balh-Kholi and Paroiyaan Kalan of Bangana, on October 7, in Khadd Khas and Bhadasali Tholian of Haroli, on the 8th in Saloh Upper and Dulahad Upperla, on the 9th in Dhamandari and Kuriala of Una and on October 10 in Bahdala and Sasan, people will be entertained through songs, music and street plays, along with being informed about the schemes being run in public interest.
On this occasion, Pradhan Vijay Kumar of Pirthipur Lower, Ward Member Kuldeep Singh, Panchayat Secretary Baljeet Singh, Pradhan Promila Devi of Chalet Upper, Secretary Sunita Devi, and others were present.