Berhampur: An education hub for students belonging to the scheduled castes (SC) and the scheduled tribes (ST) communities will shortly be launched here.

The first-of-its-kind facility in the state will start functioning from the next educational year, said SC and ST development minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi. Educational development of the ST and SC communities is the aim of establishing such a hub, said the minister, while addressing the annual event of the B.R. Ambedkar Berhampur Municipal Corporation SC & ST Vikas Manch in the centenary hall of Khallikote College.

The hub would cost Rs 45 crore and follow the CBSE pattern. Three thousand students from Class VI to XII will be enrolled to study here, he said.

"The SC and ST communities consist of 23 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively, of the state's population, and we have identified the thrust areas. Over the years, the department has sanctioned 6,375 hostels in its own educational institutions as also in that of other departments, including the school and mass education, higher education and so on," Majhi said.

The state government had initiated a new scheme named Anwesha from 2015-16 to provide education to the ST and SC students in partnership with the state's urban educational institutions. It is an initiative to facilitate the disadvantaged SC and ST students to receive education.

"Another initiative named Akankshya has been made for nurturing the inherent talent among the SC and ST students and impart the spirit of competitiveness and excellence to them," Majhi said.

Considering the importance of creating residential facilities for them, the government has proposed to set up another six new urban hostels in Berhampur, Sambalpur and Rourkela (two in each location - one for boys and another for girls).