78,000 await scholarships

Over 78,000 backward class students from the drought-hit Marathwada region are yet to receive their scholarships even as the academic year begins in June. The social justice department has been silent on the issue, but students have been facing problems as colleges are demanding fees and they will incur other expenses.

The social justice department provides scholarships to schedule caste, schedule tribe and special backward class students for college education. However, 78,305 students are still waiting for the scholarship for the academic year 2015-16, which is over.

As per information sought from the social justice department, 44,346 applications of the students from Aurangabad district are pending for approval. In other districts, 7,074 applications from Jalna, 23,495 applications from Beed and 3,390 applications from Parbhani have not yet been approved. The total value of the scholarships is estimated at rS 109 crore.

Incidentally, the state Cabinet had issued a government resolution stating that educational fees of the students should be waived off in Marathwada

The region has been facing a severe agricultural crisis, and students from farmer and labourer families cannot deal with educational expenses. Several of them have discontinued their studies.

Taking up the issue before the government, the NCP’s students wing has held protests at the district level, demanding release of scholarships to the students. “Marathwada is reeling under severe drought and lakhs of families have no source of income. Many of them had to discontinue their education, as they cannot afford it. The government is spending lot of money to control drought but has neglected these students. We will continue our protest until the students get justice,” NCP student wing president Sangram Kote Patil told The Asian Age.

Several phone calls to social justice minister Rajkumar Badole regarding the scholarships issue went unanswered. Also, messages sent to him did not get any response.