Release funds for scholarship, state tells Centre

New Delhi, May 24

State Minister for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Sadhu Singh Dharamsot today met Union Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot and urged him to release arrear funds under the scholarship schemes for students belonging to Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes.

The arrears pertain to financial years 2015-16 and 2016-17. The schemes relate to post-matric scholarship to SC and OBC students.

After the meeting, Dharamsot said the total pending funds during the two years amounted to Rs 1,259 crore. A bulk of them pertained to the scheme for SC students. The total funds related to the SC students is Rs 1,046 core — Rs 328 crore for 2015-16 and Rs 717 crore for 2016-17.

“I have urged the Union Minister to release the funds expeditiously so as enable the state to implement the scheme aimed to empower the downtrodden sections of the society.” “I hope that the BJP-led NDA government will not adopt a partisan approach against the Congress government in the state,” he said. — TNS