Malappuram: A total of 1,240 widows and divorcees from minority communities will benefit from a house project of the Kerala government.

Named after late E K Imbichi Bava, a former minister and a member of the Communist Party of India (Maxist), the project will give 250,000 rupees to each beneficiary. The beneficiary will be given an additional 100,000 rupees from the government’s Livelihood Inclusion and Financial Empowerment (LIFE) mission.

Minister for Local Administration and Minority Welfare K T Jaleel on June 30 opened the scheme at a function held at Malappuram collectorate conference hall.

The minister said the scheme will be implemented with the support of voluntary organizations.

“The government has allocated 30 crore (300 million) rupees for the housing scheme in the current financial year while another Rs 50 crore will be allowed next fiscal year. A slew of projects has been proposed by the State Government for the welfare of minorities in the state,” Jaleel said.

The minister also hailed Malappuram district collector Amit Meena for taking up efforts to retain communal harmony in the district. While referring to the recent speech by the district collector in a mosque in Malappuram town the minister said that it was new model by the government official in the state.

Amit Meena had addressed the believers in mosque after Friday prayers during Ramadan exhorting them to be aware of the waste threat and minimize the use of plastic.

Malappuram municipal chairperson C H Jameela presided over. Municipality opposition leader O Sahadevan and Additional District Magistrate T Vijayan also attended.