Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 9: Gove-rnment today announced thorough probe into the embezzlement of scholarship funds by a private institute situated at Shastri Nagar.
The announcement was made by the Social Welfare Minister Sajad Gani Lone after Congress MLA from Inderwal Ghulam Mohammad Saroori made startling revelations in this regard and even handed over documents highlighting embezzlement to the Speaker Kavinder Gupta.
“Evergreen Institute of Training situated at Shastri Nagar has embezzled Rs 1.09 crore meant for scholarship to the minority community and released by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs”, Saroori said, adding “the scholarship amount has been disbursed to a wholesale shopkeeper, Government employee and a medical shop owner by the owner of the institute”.
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Pointing towards the bank statement of the institute having account in the J&K Bank’s Bakshi Nagar branch, Congress MLA said, “the owner has usurped the scholarship funds for his own use instead of providing to the students of minority community”.
As some Members interrupted him, Saroori said, “if revelations turn wrong I will resign from this House”, adding “this is the question of students of minority community who have been deprived of the scholarship released by the Union Government”. He demanded thorough probe into the embezzlement of funds and strict action against the accused persons.
Conceding the demand of the Congress MLA, Minister for Social Welfare Sajad Gani Lone announced that Government will conduct thorough probe and even approach Union Ministry of Minority Affairs to ascertain whether any scholarship amount meant for the minority community has been directly released in favour of Evergreen Institute of Training, Shastri Nagar.
Earlier, the Minister said that as per Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) issued by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, the applicants apply directly on National Scholarship Portal of the Union Ministry and the applications are thereafter scrutinized online by the Institute concerned and later by District/State level Nodal Officer.
The applications are then transferred directly to the Ministry of Minority Affairs online for consideration or selection and grant of scholarship to the eligible candidates through DBT/PFMS mode. He said that scholarship amount is then credited directly into the bank accounts of the selected applicants by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs.
“The entire process is online and as such there is no scope for transfer of minority scholarship to the private institutes at the State level. However, Ministry of Minority Affairs shall be requested to apprise the State whether any scholarship amount, meant for the minority community has been directly released in favour of the institute mentioned by the legislator”, the Minister said.
He further informed the House that under Merit-Cum Means based scholarship provided by the Union Ministry of Minority, the scholarship is granted to the students undergoing various Professional/Technical Degree courses within India, having secured 50% or above marks in the qualifying examination and previous class and whose parents/guardians annual income does not exceed Rs 2.50 lakh.
The Minister said under Post-Matric Minority scholarship, the scholarship is granted to the students undergoing various Academic/technical & Vocational Courses within India having secured 50% or above marks in the previous class and whose parents/guardians annual income does not exceed Rs.2 00 lakh.
Under Pre-Matric Minority scholarship, the students undergoing studies from class 1st to 10th within India having secured 50% or above marks in the previous class and whose parents/guardians annual income does not exceed Rs 1 lakh are granted scholarship.
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