MLA J.N. Ganesh Distributes Subsidized Mobile Canteen Vans to SC/ST Entrepreneurs in Kurugodu

In an initiative to bolster self-employment and small-scale business enterprise among scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) communities, Kampli Assembly constituency MLA J.N. Ganesh distributed mobile canteen vehicles outside the MLA office in Kurugodu town, Ballari district. The distribution program was organized under the Karnataka Tourism Department's SCSP/TSP scheme for the year 2024–25. Under this government welfare initiative, each eligible candidate who completed entrepreneurship training received a mobile canteen vehicle backed by a ₹5 lakh financial subsidy from the Tourism Department. Beneficiaries contributed 5 percent of the total cost, with the remaining balance arranged through commercial bank loans. Candidates were shortlisted through a district-level selection committee chaired by the Ballari Deputy Commissioner, based on age criteria and SSLC examination performance. Handing over the vehicle keys to four selected beneficiaries from the region, MLA J.N. Ganesh emphasized that mobile food outlets would provide sustainable self-employment opportunities for rural youth. For local residents of Kurugodu taluk, the initiative brings hygienic mobile eatery options while strengthening local trade and commercial activity in the newly established taluk headquarters.