SC students being denied admission as scholarships held back: Khaira

CHANDIGARH:LEADER of opposition in Punjab assembly Sukhpal Khaira on Tuesday hit out at the Capt Amarinder Singh-led government for “failing” to provide post-matric scholarship to lakhs of Scheduled Caste students and jeopardising their future.

Khaira, MLA from Bholath, said the issue of post-matric scholarship was hanging fire ever since Amarinder took over the reins of the state. “The state government been defaulting to appropriately use the central government grant of post-matric scholarship meant for the underprivileged SC students,” he said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said the Centre released approximately Rs 115 crore towards post-matric scholarship grant for SC students of Punjab in 2017-18 but the state government failed to pass on the benefit to students from the weaker sections.

“Only 2,165 students were given post-matric scholarships and 288,651 students were denied the benefit, which clearly indicates that the underprivileged students have been denied their rights,” he said while releasing info received under the Right to Information Act.

Khaira said the Punjab government on the pretext of misuse of post-matric scholarship grant by private colleges, ordered an audit of the grant whereas the social welfare minister released the Rs 115-crore grant to the government colleges of the state. “As a result of this, managements of all private colleges have decided not to allow admission to SC students for the upcoming academic session,” he said, seeking the chief minister’s personal intervention in the matter.

On pretext of misuse by private colleges, govt ordered audit of the grant... Thus, private colleges have not admitted SC students for the upcoming session. SUKHPAL KHAIRA, leader of oppn