Thousands of students belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) category are deprived of scholarships as the Union Government is not releasing the budget meant for them, said the Health and Social Welfare Minister Surendra Singh Negi while addressing  the media here on Friday.

He said that the scholarship scheme for SC and ST students who have passed the class X and want to study further is funded entirely by the Union Government for last many years but now the State Government is not receiving any funds under the scheme due to which disbursal of scholarship to these students is affected.

The Minister also  claimed that an amount of Rs135.89 crores is pending with the Union Government. He informed that he has apprised the situation to the Prime Minister and Union Social Welfare Minister, Thawar Chand Gahlot in a letter dated October 18 but he is yet to get response. Negi said that the scholarship scheme aims to strengthen weaker sections of society by helping them to get higher education but the delay in arrival of funds is hampering this noble cause.

In response to a question the newly appointed Social Welfare Minister said that the declaration of handing over laptops to the meritorious students of weaker sections of society would soon be implemented. “I have ordered the Additional Chief Secretary to expedite the process of purchase of laptops and their distribution within a time period of one month,” Negi said. 

He blamed the five member of Parliaments (MP) from lok Sabha for not taking up the case of the people of the State with the Union Government due to which the State is being deprived of the Central assistance. The Minister said he has asked the officials of his Department to make arrangements to inform about the various welfare schemes on the mobile phones of the general public.