Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising 13 different Associations (representing over 1000 Unaided Colleges of Punjab) urged Government to release over 440 Crore for the year 2015-16 and over 780 crore for the year 2016-17 which accounts for over 1200 Crore for SC students of Punjab under Post Matric Scholarship (PMS) scheme. A meeting of 13 different associations including Dr. J.S Dhaliwal, President, Punjab Unaided Technical Institutions Association (PUTIA); Sh. Jagjit Singh, President, B.Ed Association; Dr. Anshu Kataria, President, PUCA; Sh. Ranbir Singh Dhindsa, Polytechnic Association; Mr. Charanjit Walia, President, Nursing Colleges Association; S. Nirmal Singh, ETT Federation; Mr. Jasnik Singh Kakkar, B.Ed Association (Panjab University); Mr. Satwinder Singh Sandhu, B.Ed Association (GNDU); Mr. Shimanshu Gupta, ITI Association; S. Sukhmander Singh Chatha, Punjab Unaided Degree Colleges Association(PUDCA); S. Gurmeet Singh Dhaliwal, Academic Advisory Forum (AAF) etc was held recently for the next Action plan.
Centre releasing just 115 Crore out of over 1200 Crore of SC students:
Dr. Anshu Kataria, Spokesman, JAC & President, PUCA while speaking said that around 3.15 lakh SC students were enrolled in year 2015-16 and around 3.10 lakh SC students in 2016-17 under PMS Scheme. Kataria further said that last month a delegation has met Sh. Vijay Sampla, Union Minister to request for the release of PMS amount but as per the sources, Centre is releasing just 115 Crore. State might contribute to the tune of around 45 crore as committed liability. If State would release around 160 crore in coming months it would not be enough. The colleges would get only 15-20% of total outstanding payment which is very nominal.
JAC decided to meet Chief Minister,Punjab; Social Welfare Minister; Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment in India; Minister of Finance:
In the meeting it was resolved that soon a delegation of JAC would meet Chief Minister, Punjab, Captain Amrinder Singh; Social Welfare Minister, S. Sadhu Singh Dharamsot; Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment in India, Sh Vijay Sampla; Sh. Manpreet Singh Badal, Minister of Finance, Planning & Employment Generation etc and would tell the hardships being faced by the students, parents and Colleges due to the non payment or delay in release of Scholarship amount.
Students can pay fees to the Colleges & get Scholarship in their account:
The members jointly decided that if the pending amount will not be released immediately then Colleges would ask fees to SC students for the admissions in new session and later the Government can directly transfer the amount in the accounts of the students.
Unaided Colleges are at the verge of closure:Students may have to leave their studies inbetween:
Jagjit Singh while expressing concern said that if the scholarship amount will not be released soon then few colleges which are at the verge of closure might not continue with their existing sessions and the students may have to leave their studies inbetween.Jagjit further appealed the students and parents to support the colleges and various associations to get the scholarship amount from the Government at the earliest.It is to be mentioned that last year on the call of JAC over 1200 Unaided Colleges observe Bandh for 2 days to express the concern for the scholarship towards the previous Government.