Pune: The Maharashtra Social Justice and Special Assistance Department has failed to disburse scholarships to 796 eligible students from Scheduled Caste (SC) for the academic year 2019-20 in Pune district, alleged National Student Union of India (NSUI).
In current academic year, a total of 33,313 SC students from Pune district had applied for scholarships. Out of this, 25,922 applications were approved by the State Social Welfare Department. However, almost five months have passed and only 301 students have received their scholarship amounts.
Based on various criteria, the scholarships are awarded as financial aid to students.
Akshay Jain, a representative of NSUI, said, “As per data of State Social Justice and Special Assistance Department, students have put their applications at the start of the academic year. After they were scrutinised, the department has approved the applications. Yet as many as 796 students have not received their amounts.”
State scenario
Also, the data of State Justice and Special Assistance Department says, in the current academic year, totally 3,67,795 SC students applied for scholarships from the State. Out of this, 3,19,486 applications were approved by the department but almost five months have passed and no one has received their scholarships for year 2019.
Kuldeep Ambekar, a student activist, said, “I have raised this issue several times. There have also been several financial discrepancies in the disbursements of scholarship amounts.”
“The site shows the number of scholarships approved, however, several students are still waiting for the amounts in their accounts,” said Ambekar.
Action soon
Madhav Vaidya, Joint Commissioner of Social Welfare Department for (SC), Pune, after admitting to the delay by the officials, said, “We will open our Maha-Direct Benefit Transfer window within three or four days and we will disburse the scholarship amounts to the eligible students.”
“So far, in the first phase - 2018, we have transferred the amount to the students and we are committed to transferring the remaining amount for the year 2019,” he added.