In a relief to the students belonging to Schedule Caste (SC) category, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on Thursday, ordered “severest of severe action” to be taken against educational institutions withholding the degree of SC students on the pretext of post matric scholarship scheme.
“Take severest of severe action against educational institutions indulging in such tantrums to ruin the future of SC students and ensure that the degree of not even a single student is withheld by any educational institute,” said the CM while chairing a meeting of the social justice and empowerment department.
Mann said the payment of funds under the scheme is a matter between the state government and the educational institutions. He said that students from the underprivileged and weaker sections of society have nothing to do with this and they should not suffer at any cost. He said educational institutes have no right to withhold the degrees of the students and ruin their career.
The CM said it is a cynical move on the part of educational institutions to act in such a shameful manner. He said that it also reflects the myopic mindset of some educational institutions which are trying to create barriers in the way of SC students.
Mann said stern action should be taken against erring educational institutes resorting to such tactics. He said education institutions must refrain from bullying down the SC students and hampering their progress.
The CM said the state government is committed to safeguard the interests of SC students and no stone will be left unturned for it. Mann said the state government will not sit on its hands and allow the harassment of SC students from educational institutions.
Educational institutions in Punjab are allegedly holding degrees of SC students as the disbursal of post-matric scholarship for SC students amounting to Rs 1,563.77 crore is pending for three years — 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20.
The respective educational institutions were getting the scholarship scheme money meant for each student directly from the government. Several private colleges withheld their degrees after the state government didn’t release the scholarship funds between 2017 and 2020.