SAD-BJP diverted `1,200 crore meant for scholarship grant: Min

Saturday, 01/07/2017

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Nawanshahr : Punjab Cabinet Minister Sadhu Singh Dharmsot on Friday here accused the former SAD-BJP government in the state of failure to give any account of Rs 1,200 crore scholarship grant received by it from the Centre and said that due its (SAD-BJP government) failure to submit the requisite utilisation certificate, the students of the state suffered and could not get their scholarships. He added that now after CM Captain Amarinder Singh and he himself took up the issue with the concerned Union ministry and the department, the students could hope to get the scholarships.

Punjab Forest, Printing and Stationary and SC/BC and Minorities Minister Dharmsot who was presiding over a district level seminar on various Acts concerning SCs and BCs including the Atrocities Act 1989 and Manual Scavengers Act 2013, said that Capt Amarinder Singh government would remain committed to safeguard the interests of weaker and marginal sections of the society. He added that successive congress governments at the Centre in the past had worked for the uplift of these sections which resulted in their getting social equality and equal opportunities in the country. He maintained that in the present scenario in which both the ruling and opposition candidates for the post of President of India were Dalits was an indication that the Congress had succeeded in ensuring social equality in the country.

Earlier, talking to media persons Dharmsot said that nearly 6 lakh saplings would be planted in Nawanshahr district in this monsoon season to make up for the loss of thousands of trees which had to be cut due to various development projects.

Former MP Satnam Singh Kainth, Nawanshahr MLA Angad Singh and Balachaur MLA Darshan Lal Mangupur also spoke on the occasion. 10 couples who had gone in for inter-caste marriages were given cheques worth Rs 50,000 each as financial aid and 23 meritorious students were given special stipend worth Rs 1,200 each on the occasion. Artistes of Nehru Yuva Kendra presented a skit on social evils facing the society. A number of local Congress leaders were also present.

Minority-friendly government

Successive Congress governments at the Centre in the past had worked for the uplift of these sections which resulted in their getting social equality and equal opportunities in the country.

In the present scenario in which both the ruling and opposition candidates for the post of President of India were Dalits was an indication that the Congress had succeeded in ensuring social equality in the country.

The erstwhile SAD-BJP government in the state had failed to give any account of Rs 1,200 crore scholarship grant received by it from the Centre and said that due its (SAD-BJP government) failure to submit the requisite utilisation certificate, the students of the state suffered and could not get their scholarships.