SHILLONG, AUG 7: Even after fifteen months, around 8815 college students are yet to receive their ‘Post Metric Scholarship to Schedule Tribe (2010-2011). The revelation was made in an RTI filed by the Meghalaya Peoples’ United Front (MPUF).
The MPUF now has threatened to complain to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs if the Meghalaya government fails to release the pending scholarship within three months time.
The RTI filed with the Director of Higher and Technical Education (DHTE), revealed that out of 61,706 beneficiary students from 163 colleges, 8815 students have not got their scholarship sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MTA), MPUF president Dapoi Wanmi Laloo informed.
Laloo said the MPUF was forced to file an RTI after it received several complaints from aggrieved students complaining about the inordinate delay in getting their scholarship.
The MTA has sanctioned a total amount of 13.59 crores for the scholarship which was released in three installments. The first installment was released on September 2011, second on December 2011 and third was released on March 2012, the RTI revealed. Laloo said, “However, the department till today is delaying and is yet to release the scholarship for these students.” He informed that as per the MTA guidelines, the state government has to release the scholarship on time.
Laloo informed that the MPUF had earlier sought clarification from the department on the delay to disburse the scholarship. He said, “One reason the DHTE gave was the delay was because of non-availability of core banking facilities in some of the banks which is ‘unacceptable’ and ‘unjustifiable.’ He informed when enquiries were made the banks authorities how contradicted by saying the core banking facility were available.
Laloo said only the Meghalaya Cooperative Apex Bank, Rural and Urban banks did not have the core banking facility.
Laloo alleged that the DHTE is delaying the payment of scholarship to earn huge interest from the amount sanctioned by the MTA which has deposited in a bank.
Laloo demanded that the DHTE must immediately release the pending scholarship to the students within three months time.- By Our Reporter
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