The Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission has asked the Director, Welfare Department to release pending amount concerning Post Matric Scholarship Scheme with immediate effect.
Chairman of the Commission, Rajesh Bagha said that the Director, Welfare Bindu Walia deposed before the Commission on the issue of Post Matric Scholarship Scheme concerning SC category students.
He said the Director, Welfare informed the Commission that the Central Government has released `80 crore for the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme which would be disbursed amongst the colleges concerned soon. Bagha said that the total number of students being benefited by this scheme in current year stands at 3,15,000 while it was 3,05,000 the previous year.
Bagha said that some colleges are indulging in duplicate names and the commission has pushed for strict action against such erring colleges. Elaborating, 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.