Free education for Ockhi-hit kids: Pinarayi

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has initiated a scheme to provide free education and vocational training to the children of those fishermen who died or went missing in the 2017 Ockhi cyclonic storm.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said 194 students have been identified as beneficiaries.

"A total of 194 students, which includes children at all levels, from lower primary to professional colleges, have been identified as beneficiaries. The government will provide vocational training to 124 students who have completed graduation," Pinarayi said in his official Twitter handle Thursday.

He also said Rs 13.92 crore would be allocated from the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund.

The scheme envisages a package of Rs 10,000 per year for children in classes from LKG to Class V, Rs 25,000 for children in classes 6 to 10, Rs 30,000 for higher secondary students and up to Rs 1,00,000 for students doing graduation.

"The project will continue till 2037," Vijayan said.

Ockhi was a Category three level tropical cyclone that had hit the shores of Kerala in November 2017.

Over 70 fishermen from the southern districts of Kerala had lost their lives in the devastating cyclone on November 29-30 last year. Several fishermen went missing also. The cyclone had also caused devastation in neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep.