SIT-IN STAGED BY AKALI DAL IS A CHEAP POLITICAL STUNT: DHARAMSOT

·        SAYS, SCHOLARSHIP OF Rs. 203 CR. HAS BEEN DISBURSED IN LAST 2 YEARS

·        AMOUNT OF Rs. 1663.47 CR IS OUTSTANDIG TOWARDS GoI FOR THE POST MATRIC SCHOLARSHIP OF 2016-17, 2017-18 AND 2018-19

CHANDIGARH, NOVEMBER 15:

Mr. Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Social Justice, Empowerment and Minority Minister has termed the sit-in staged by Shiromani Akali Dal a cheap political stunt to capture media’s attention.

In a press statement released here today Mr. Sadhu Singh Dharamsot said that the same party in whose regime administrative discrepancies have been committed in post matric scholarship is now posing themselves as the sympathizer of Dalits. He said that the Congress Government has decided to conduct the audit of the amount released in the name of scholarship by the SAD-BJP Government in order to bring forth the bungling committed by them. He said that in the audit of amount released by the private educational institutes, uptill now amount of Rs. 460 Cr. has been found objectionable. Refuting the acquisition of the Akali Dal on Congress Government for not releasing the scholarship amount, the Minister said that in reality Congress Government has released Rs. 203 Cr. under post matric scholarship in the last 2 years. Mr. Dharamsot also made startling revelation that the post matric scholarship amounting to Rs. 1663.47 Cr. is pending with that GoI for the 2016-17, 2017-18 AND 2018-19. Divulging the break-up of amount, He said that Rs. 719.52 Cr. for the year 2016-17, Rs. 567.55 Cr. for the year 2017-18 and Rs. 376.40 Cr. is pending with a GoI for the year 2018-19.

Mr. Dharamsot said that the Centre Government has released Rs. 327.39 Cr. in this financial year 2018-19 which is due for the financial year 2015-16. He said that in Punjab there are 3606 educational institutes. Out of all these institutes, audit report of 2059 (1898 Private and 161 Government) educational institutes have been received so far. He said that out 1898 private educations institutes the scholarship amount to 920 institutes cannot be disbursed as the audit reports of these institutes is shady. He said that the post matric scholarship amount of Rs. 88 Cr. to the remaining 978 education institutes has already been released. He said that the Government has also sanctioned the amount of Rs. 171 Cr for 302 technical institutes and the bills to release the payment are being deposit in the treasury soon.

The Minister said that the GoI has released Rs. 115.73 Cr. for the year for the year 2017-18. He said that this amount meant for post matric scholarship of 3 lac 94 thousand students was released to 2 thousand Government and Private institutes. The report of which has already submitted to the GoI. The Minister Dharamsot said that if the Akali Government was serious about the issue of Dalit Students then they would have not faced so much harassment and humiliation.

He also said that SAD leaders have no right to stage demonstrations as the pending amount of their tenure 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 has been released by the present government.

He also made it clear that the instructions for transactions with regard to the fees are issued by the Union Government and the state government and various educational institutions have to work in accordance with these. The minister further said that the income certificate for the students has been issued as per the new instructions of the Union Government. According to these instructions only, the management quota has been done away with. Now the scholarship amount would be directly credited into the bank accounts of the students instead of the educational institutions. The minister further added that only the students of that educational institute would be eligible to avail scholarships whose 50 percent SC students (availing scholarship) would clear the exam.