With ‘diversion’ of funds to some other department, the State Government's popular scheme to distribute laptops among the MBBS and engineering students of the weaker sections of the society, has failed to take shape.
It may be recalled that the State Government had got clearance for distribution of laptops among the MBBS and engineering students belonging to weaker sections of the society in the monsoon session of the State Assembly in last September. Under the laptop distribution process, the social welfare department had been assigned the task of distribution of laptops among MBBS and engineering students belonging to SC section of the society. An amount of Rs 9 crore had been sanctioned for purchasing the laptops, officials of the social welfare department, Uttarakhand, said.
As many as 2,248 students belonging to the SC category have been identified to be covered under this scheme in the state so far, the officials concerned of the social welfare department said. Since all formalities had been completed and more importantly, the requisite funds had also been sanctioned, the laptops distribution scheme could have been implemented much earlier in the State had the funds been released on time, officials concerned of the social welfare department said.
But the officials concerned have now informed, the requisite funds have been diverted to some other department. Now, the process is on to get back the funds released to the social welfare department. “Once the fund is granted to our department, only then the further distribution process can be started," maintained officials concerned of the social welfare department. But nothing can be said as and when the fund would be released to our department, they added.
This move of distribution of laptops by the State Government is being seen as an attempt on part of it to woo the youths in the State eying on the general elections ahead this year. But the interesting fact is that 'delay' in release of fund to the department concerned now may upset the calculation of the State Government to reach out to the weaker sections of the society ahead of the general elections — 2014 by way of launching some populist measures like distribution of laptops among the MBBS and engineering students of the weaker sections of the society.
Under the laptop distribution scheme, the social welfare department has identified 2,248 eligible students of the SC section of the society who belong to different districts of the hill State. Out of the 2,248 students who have to be covered under this laptop distribution scheme, as many as 150 students belong to Pauri, followed by Tehari with 24, Dehradun with 563, Haridwar with 828, Nainital with 103, Almora with 148, Pithoragarh with 50 and Udham Singh Nagar with 382, officials concerned said.
However, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, Bageshwar and Champawat are some of the districts where no eligible candidate has so far been found to be covered under this aforesaid scheme, they added.