Punjab Welfare Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike today constituted a three member panel to look into the allegations of denial of Post-Matric scholarship to eligible SC students in Rayat Bahra Group, KC Group and Doaba Group. Ranike announced the constitution of probe panel after meeting a delegation of affected students. Condemning the lathi charge on students protesting against non-disbursal of scholarship by the institutes, Mr. Ranike said that it was mandatory for all educational institutes to provide benefit of all welfare schemes including Post-Matric scholarship to all eligible students. He said that in the case of failure or laxity shown by any institute, Govt. would not hesitate to take strictest possible action against erring institutes. Stating that providing benefit of welfare schemes to eligible students of Scheduled Castes a moral responsibility of Welfare Department, Mr. Ranike said no laxity and compromise in this regard would be tolerated. He said the three member panel would conduct a checking in these educational institutes. He said Director Welfare Mrs. Alak Nanda Dayal will lead the panel. He said Mr. Jasvir Singh Dhillon, District Welfare Officer Roop Nagar and Mr. Rajinder Singh, District Welfare Officer, Jalandhar will be the member of panel.
The Minister said the panel will conduct checking in the said institutions and submit the report to Secretary Welfare Mrs. Seema Jain. He also clarified that any irregularity in compliance of welfare schemes would not be tolerated and necessary disciplinary action would be initiated against erring persons. Minister also assured that the welfare schemes would be implemented in true spirit in the state.Giving details about disbursement of amounts under Post-Matric scholarship, Mr. Ranike said the state had disbursed Rs. 179.21 crore to Director Technical Education and Industrial Training for 456 educational institutions in 2014-15, where 56496 Scheduled Castes students have been studying. He said Rs. 10.64 crore has also been issued for 13338 students of 316 ITIs in the state. The Minister also informed that the state had disbursed Rs. 4.64 crore for 1459 students of Rayat Bahra institute of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Rs. 2.97 crore for 877 students of KC Group and Rs. 2.42 crore for 808 students of Doaba Group. Ranike said State had also made the Post Matric Scholarship to Scheduled Castes students online through Ashirwad portal to make this scheme virtually transparent. He said all payments were being transacted into the bank accounts of students and education institutes. He said Rs. 437.67 crore has been disbursed in 2014-15 for 469802 students.