Badal gives relief to SC students

Chandigarh, May 17 (UNI) The Punjab Government today decided that Scheduled Castes (SC) students eligible for Post-Matric Scholarships would not have to pay their fees for higher education.

The present system of up-front payment by such students and subsequent re-imbursement would now be dispensed with, an official spokesman said.

''Now the colleges concerned, after admitting eligible students, would seek reimbursement of fee and scholarship from the Punjab Government, after completing the process of admission,'' he said.

The decision would benefit 62,000 students belonging to Scheduled Castes.

The decision was taken in a high level meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

At resent, Scheduled caste students whose family income was below Rs one lakh per annum were eligible to get Post Matric free education in Medical, Engineering, Nursing or any stream of their choice.

Under the earlier system students had to make upfront payment of fee and later seek reimbursement from the Government. The students had complained to the Chief Minister that reimbursement invariably got delayed due to various administrative problems.

Concerned at the plight of poor S C students who were opting for higher studies, the Chief Minister pointed out that students should not suffer because of delay due to bureaucratic red-tapism and it should be the onus of concerned education institution to seek reimbursement of fee from the authorities.

Last year, over 62000 students availed this benefit and Rs 13.87 crore was disbursed to them. In current financial year, Rs 14.50 crore had been earmarked for this scheme, the spokesman said.

UNI