SHILLONG, Jan 7: The state government is trying its best to release the scholarships by pursuing the matter with the Centre.
But it can “only do so much” as the scholarships come under a central programme, Education Minister Rakkam A. Sangma said on Sunday.
“This is a union ministry programme. It is not in our hands directly but we are doing our best to make it happen at the earliest,” he told The Shillong Times.
The North-Eastern Hill University Students’ Union (NEHUSU) and Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) have given the state government a 10-day deadline to release the scholarship of the students.
Sangma said the government has already released the scholarships to 37,406 out of 67,026 beneficiaries from the first instalment of Rs 52 crore received from the Centre.
Another Rs 65 crore is awaited for releasing the scholarships to the remaining students, he added.
He said he had issued a statement earlier that the scholarships would be released within two weeks.
“We did disburse, but to the 37,406 students because the second instalment has not arrived,” the Education minister said.
Sangma said the union minister concerned communicated to the state government on December 27 that it was processing the proposal for the release of the second instalment.
“We have already sent the utilisation certificates and other documents sought from us,” he said.
Earlier, the members of the NEHUSU and HYC held a protest in front of the MBoSE office at Lower Lachumiere against the government’s failure to release the scholarships. They have threatened to agitate again if the government does not respond within the 10-day deadline.
The leaders of the two organisations said the fresh students and 50% of the renewal students are yet to get the scholarships.
The state BJP also expressed concern over the delay in releasing the scholarships to the students and asked the state government to take up the matter seriously.
