The Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission has ordered the Director, Welfare Department to release pending amount concerning Post Matric Scholarship Scheme with immediate effect.Disclosing this, the Chairman of the Commission, Rajesh Bagha said that the Director, Welfare Mrs. Bindu Walia deposed before the commission with regard to the issues of Post Matric Scholarship Scheme concerning SC category students. He said that the Director, Welfare informed the commission that the Central Government has released Rs. 80 crore for the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme which would be disbursed amongst the concerned colleges soon. Mr. Bagha further said that the total number of students being benefitted by this scheme in current year stands at 3, 15,000 while it was 3,05,000 the previous year.
Divulging more, Mr. Bagha said that the duplicacy in the scheme being indulged in by some colleges has come to light and the commission has pushed for strict action against such erring colleges. Elaborating more, he said that instructions have been given to the welfare department to write a letter to all the colleges in the state directing them to issue orders to disburse the benefits of the scheme amongst SC category students without harassment. He also said that the welfare department has also issued instructions to credit the salaries of the employees provided jobs under outsourcing throughout the state, into their bank accounts in time.