Bengaluru, 15 November

With the primary objective of providing employment opportunities to the young men and women of Scheduled Tribes (ST), the State government has approved a scheme to provide subsidies of up to Rs 4 lakh to help them set up food trucks, mobile kitchens and food kiosks, Minister T Raghumurthy said on Sunday.

The scheme, approved at a recent Cabinet meeting, aims to promote self-employment and entrepreneurship among ST youth by extending financial assistance through corporations under the ST Welfare Department.

Under the scheme, eligible beneficiaries will receive a subsidy covering 75 per cent of the unit cost, subject to a maximum of Rs 4 lakh, for setting up fast-food truck trailers or mobile kitchen food kiosks, the office of the Minister for ST Welfare said in a release.

Raghumurthy’s release stated that the stall/truck/kiosk scheme will cover over 50 communities, including Adivasis, classified under the Scheduled Tribes category. 

The initiative was announced in the previous budget by then chief minister Siddaramaiah. Raghumurthy said he had taken steps to facilitate its implementation after assuming charge as the ST Welfare Minister. He said he had held discussions with Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and department officials to secure Cabinet approval for the scheme.

Department Secretary M Kanagavalli and ST Welfare Department Director D R Ashok said steps would be taken to facilitate loans through banks and financial institutions and extend subsidies to eligible beneficiaries.

"This initiative will contribute to the economic empowerment of the ST community. Compared to unregulated street vending, these standardised mobile units can provide better-quality food under more organised conditions," Raghumurthy said. “Our intention is that this scheme should benefit thousands of people and, in turn, enable them to generate employment for thousands more.”