Jaswant Singh Gandam & Raman Nehra
PHAGWARA: A large number of BJP-SAD activists, including women, held demonstration, protest march and rally here to express resentment over criminal delay in release of Rs 327 crore grant of Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme meant for scheduled caste/scheduled tribes students studying in colleges and universities.
Led jointly by BJP’s Phagwara MLA Som Parkash Kainth and SAD stalwart cum SGPC member Sarwan Singh Kular, the activists marched to SDM’s office and presented a memorandum to SDM Dr (Mrs) Sumit Mudh for its onward submission to Punjab Chief minister.
Councilors, including lady representatives, and office-bearers of both the alliance partners took part in the protest.
Addressing their rally, Kainth and Kular claimed that Modi government had released Rs 327 crore to Punjab government for Post Matric Scholarship Scheme. “But Congress government of Punjab had ssyphonedoff this Central government amount for other purposes, thus playing with the future of SC/ST students,” they alleged.
Reminding state CM that education of SC/ST students depended on this Central government scholarship scheme, they warned Punjab government that they would not allow the government to put in peril the future of SC/ST students.
They said, “Education is right of every individual. Anyone wanting to study has the right to study. It is the moral duty of state government to ensure that there was no hurdle in its way”.
Alleging that Congress government had reneged on its poll promise enshrined in its manifesto that it will ensure education provision without any hindrance, both Kainth and Kular said that the state government was showing high-handedness not to students alone but also indulging in ‘dhakka’(injustice) against every section of society.
Addressed to Punjab CM, the memorandum sought solid steps for immediate release of the grant, failing which it warned of a stepped- up stir.
Corporation’s Senior Deputy Mayor Surinder Singh Walia, senior lady councilor Sarabjit Kaur, promising councilor Anurag Mankhand,BJP Mandal President Paramjit Singh Pamma and SAD Block President Ranjit Singh Chandi also spoke
