Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Monday asked the Centre to release the pending arrears of Rs 121.17 crore towards post-matric scholarship for Schedule Caste (SC) students in the state.
“I would request your personal intervention in this matter for early release of the claims of the state towards Post-Matric Scholarship for SC students,” said Patnaik in a letter to Union social justice and empowerment minister Thawar Chand Gehlot.
The central assistance released from the ministry towards the scholarship to SC students in the state has been grossly inadequate since 2014-15, said Patnaik. “This has created significant arrears receivable from the ministry, and the progressive outstanding dues amount to `121.17 crore till 2014-15,” said the CM. This arrear claim had been duly posed in the calling proposal for 2015-16, he added.
Patnaik said such a huge gap in the receipt of central assistance against the actual requirement has not only put socially and economically backward SC students in hardship but also posed serious challenges to the state government in managing the grievances of the hapless students.
In order to ensure the careers of the SC students is not jeopardised, the state government has incurred expenses out of its own budget provision of 2015-16 to meet the arrear claims of 2014-15, said Patnaik.
Stating that the pending arrears are putting an extra financial burden on the already stretched revenue resources of the state government, the CM said: “There is an urgent need of recouping this arrear amount by allocation from your ministry to meet the requirement of the scholarship claims of the SC students for the 2015-16 financial year”. PNN
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