Sc scholarship: Private colleges refuse to sign Punjab government undertaking

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 4

The volatile issue of pending arrears of students under the SC Post-Matric Scholarship scheme is back to haunt the state government.

Days after the Cabinet decided to pay 40 per cent of the Rs 200 crore arrears of private educational institutions against the scholarship scheme for the period 2017-18 to 2019-20 in three equal quarterly installments, the Joint Association of Colleges (JAC), which represents 1,650 private educational institutions, has refused to sign the undertaking sought by the state government to release the funds.

Can’t claim 60% dues, institutions told

Though the state agreed to clear 40% of the Rs200-crore arrears, it maintains the remaining 60% has to be released by the Centre, which says the scheme ended in 2016-17

The government says if 60% amount is not received from the Centre, the institutions can’t claim it from state government

The JAC says: “At the meeting, the officials said they would press upon the Centre to release the remaining 60% funds. The Centre discontinued the scheme in 2017, but the state continued to enroll students. It’s a matter between the state and the Centre.”

The government has been maintaining that the remaining 60 per cent of the funds have to be released by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, a fact contradicted by the Centre that maintains that the scheme had ended in 2016-17.

The Social Welfare Department, in a communication to other government departments, has pointed out that the state would release the funds only if private educational institutions don’t seek the remaining 60 per cent amount, neither from the state government nor from the students. “The undertaking was never discussed at the meeting of the committee of Group of Ministers held with the JAC representatives,” said JAC co-chairman Dr Anshu Kataria.

“The state government officials had stated in the meeting that they would press upon the Centre to release the remaining 60 per cent of the funds. But we never agreed to give any commitment regarding it. The Centre had discontinued the scheme in 2017, but the state continued to enroll students. It is a matter between the state and the Centre,” the JAC has pointed out.

The Post Matric Scholarship scheme for SC students is being implemented through Central assistance but no funds have been released against the demand for the years 2017-18 to 2019-20. Keeping in view the hardships faced by SC students, the state government constituted a committee of group of ministers (GoM) to examine and resolve the issue to secure the future of SC students.

The GoM had also recommended that private educational institutions would not withhold the roll numbers, certificates and degrees of SC students, would make no claims nor approach court against the state government for claiming pending fees for the sessions 2017-18 to 2019-20. Further, they will withdraw cases pending in court in this matter, the GoM had suggested.

Further, it has said in its report that if 60 per cent amount is not received from the Centre, the educational institutions could not claim their fee from the state government.

Sc scholarship: Private colleges refuse to sign Punjab government undertaking
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