DESAM threatens stir over unpaid scholarship
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, December 03 2022: Demanding early release of scholarships for students for the year 2021, Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) has warned of launching different forms of protest in case the government continues to withhold the scholarship amount for long.

Addressing media persons at its Kwakeithel office, here, on Saturday, DESAM secretary general M Somorjit Luwang said that scholarships are provided to students under the ministry of social justice and empowerment.

Scholarships for Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and Pre-Matric for the year 2021 have been released but scholarship amount of Rs 17.31 crore for 24,996 students under post-matric scholarship scheme has not been disbursed till date.

Manipur being a state with low per capita income, delaying release of the scholarship amount gives severe impact on the students pursuing their education as the scholarship amount plays a vital role in their education, he said.

The secretary general also confided that DESAM has information of the ministry releasing Rs 1.20 crore out of the Rs 17.31 crore fund.

He then demanded the state government to pursue the matter with the ministry for early release of the remaining fund so that the students could get their entitled assistance.

Somorjit further said that deadline for applying for the 2022 session scholarship has ended but several students have been left out due to delay in the admission process in some departments of Manipur University.

Expressing serious concern over the matter, he demanded the state government and department concerned to take up some alternative means to provide assistance to eligible students, and cautioned of launching different forms of agitation if the government continues to ignore the matter.

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