Cloud over states education scholarship plan

Updated on: Wednesday, December 28, 2011

After the controversy over bogus enrolment of students in schools, the state government may now catch flak over its scholarship scheme for college students.

State officials said nearly Rs 500 crore was distributed to colleges in 2010-11 as post-matriculate scholarship money for backward class students, in violation of the prescribed norms.

The money was distributed to colleges even as the state had adopted a system whereby the money was to be deposited into the students’ bank account. No transaction in this regard was to be carried out with colleges.

It has now come to light that instructions issued by the authorities in this regard were overlooked in a number of cases; and payments were issued in the name of colleges. Officials said the amount disbursed in this manner during the year was around Rs 500 crore. The state social justice and social assistance department provides education scholarships for students belonging to the scheduled castes, other backward classes, nomadic tribes and others. Lakhs of students benefit from the drive each year. Taking a serious view of the discrepancy, social justice minister Shivaji Moghe has asked the commissioner of the social justice department to submit a report in the matter. Officials, however, said that the commissioner’s office is yet to undertake the task and is not keen on conducting the probe.

The minister’s office has advocated action against all those guilty for the lapse. Following the introduction of the e-scholarship system, the scholarship amount paid is said to have come down by close to 50%. Officials said that a large number of claims filed under the earlier system were bogus.

Cloud over states education scholarship plan

More Education news