Scholarship scheme: No clarity, students refuse to return share of colleges

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 11

Disbursal of Rs 152 crore among 1.76 lakh students enrolled under the SC Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme has put the government and private educational institutions in a tight spot, thanks to the Social Welfare Department.

For the academic year 2020-21, the department transferred the scholarship amount into accounts of students without clear guidelines on the break-up of the released scholarship amount that comprises the tuition fee to be paid to the respective college and the maintenance allowance to be given to the students.

In many cases, the students have refused to share the tuition fee component with their respective college, attracting protest from college managements, which are now knocking at the door of Social Welfare Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and senior government functionaries. At Jalandhar, Bathinda and other places, students have protested as the college authorities are asking for the academic fee.

“The government rushed to deposit the money into the accounts of students through the direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode without clarifying over the tuition fee component that the students are supposed to return to their college. It seems more like a political move to appease the SC vote bank that has been annoyed due to non-release of funds in the past,” said departmental officials. Social Welfare Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot said the amount had been transferred into the accounts of students as per the revised Central guidelines. He claimed the academic fee had to be returned by students to their respective colleges.

For academic year 2020-21, Rs 152 crore given to students is the state’s share of 40 per cent under the central scheme, while the remaining 60 per cent share (Rs 229 crore) is to be paid by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. As per the Centre’s scheme, the 60 per cent amount is to be released once the state has disbursed its 40 per cent share. It is learnt that the Centre has already given sanction for disbursal of its 60 per cent share.