Delay in granting scholarship hits five ST students

Updated on: Friday, October 21, 2011

Five Scheduled Tribe students of Meredian College are unable to pay their fees for the third semester because their scholarship has been delayed.

A student told The Hindu that the delay caused him tension. “We have requested the principal to extend the deadline for a few more days. But if I don't get the scholarship soon, I won't be able to pay the fees, and it is a big insult to me. How can I continue in the college?” he said.

The student said that he and other students had been shuttling between the offices of the taluk social welfare officer, the district social welfare officer, and the Integrated Tribal Development Project office, trying to find out why the scholarship had been delayed.

Another student Veeresh E., who hails from Bellary, said: “I asked my parents for money to pay the fees, but they said there is no money right now. So I have to wait for the scholarship.”

As they wait for the scholarship to be released from bureaucratic wrangles, they get fined Rs. 100 a day for not paying the university examination fees.

Veeresh said that they could pay the examination fees of Rs. 2,000 without paying the college fees of Rs. 12,500. If students were unable to pay the fees, they would not be allowed to write their semester examination.

He said that he would get Rs. 23,850 after Rs. 5,000 was deducted for the hostel fees. The full scholarship was Rs. 27,000, while the college fees amounted to Rs. 35,000, including the examination fee.

Acting coordinator for the Integrated Tribal Development Project K.V. Halagappa said that it was the taluk social welfare officer's responsibility to send the scholarship amount to the accounts of the college concerned. The problem arose because under the old system, cheques were issued directly to the colleges. But some months ago, the State government issued instructions that officers of the Social Welfare, Backward Classes and Minorities and ITDP departments open joint bank accounts with either the Deputy Commissioner or the Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer.

He said the ITDP had sent the cheques to the zilla panchayat Chief Executive Officer for clearance and they should reach the students within a week.

Delay in granting scholarship hits five ST students

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