People from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are increasingly seeking self-employment and the government is ready to lend a helping hand, said minister Jeetan Ram Manjhi on Tuesday.

Manjhi was speaking at a meeting organised by his department — Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes welfare — at the planetarium. The secretary of the department, S.M. Raju, was the chairman of the meet, the focus of which was people involved in unhygienic work.

Traditionally, people from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were employed to perform sanitary works, like carrying away night soil, disposing off dead cattle or killing pests like rats.

“Times have changed, and so have people,” said Manjhi, adding that many from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were seeking employment in other fields. “Many are also interested in self-employment.”

Raju said: “We have five schemes to rehabilitate people . Under the first scheme, people can get subsidy (up to Rs 10,000 or 50 per cent of initial investment, whichever is less) for self-employment. The second scheme helps in skill development while the third one assists in community work.”

Of the two other schemes, one helps in self-help groups and the other provides training in sanitary work.

Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Mission project manager Umesh Manjhi, said there are special scholarships too.