UP govt makes provision of Rs 200 crore for poor students

Lucknow, May 24: The Uttar Pradesh government today announced to restore the zero-fee scheme for those students seeking higher education and whose family income is below Rs one lakh per annum.

Addressing a press conference here, Chief Minister Mayawati also announced a provision of Rs 200 crore for re-imbursement of fees of the poor students.

This scheme had come to a halt as there was no budgetary provision despite the announcement of the scheme by the previous Samajwadi Party government in the state. Due to non-payment of fees many poor students seeking higher education in government instiututes and universities were debarred from exams.

'' The government has directed such institutions to announce the results which were held up as the fee would be forthcoming, '' Ms Mayawati said. The benefit of the scheme would reach to the students who were economically weaker, she added.

Situation had turned appaling for students mostly from the backward class whose fees were left un paid during the previous regime due to which the fate of several students hanged in balance.

Coming down heavily on the previous Samajwadi Party government, Ms Mayawati today said it played with the future of the students as they failed to make budgetary provision for the scheme making it useless.

''My government had directed all the institutions to announce the results of such students as their fee would be paid immediately,'' she said.

UNI