Maha mulls action against institutes withholding scholarships

Amid strong criticisms from the Opposition, the Maharashtra government today said educational institutions holding back scholarship amounts disbursed for students from other backward classes will be dealt with seriously.
Replying to a discussion through a calling attention notice on malpractices in this regard by educational institutions and pending disbursements, social justice minister Shivajirao Moghe said, the government will take strict action against such institutions.
The Opposition members criticised the state government over its failure to curb such malpractices during the discussion.
Initiating the discussion, Nana Patole (BJP) hitting out at the government for delays in disbursing scholarship amounts, said that the government was playing with lives of several lakh students.

While Moghe refuted the charges, he acknowledged that the state government was yet to disburse Rs 759 crore towards scholarship fees and said that the government had so far distributed Rs 1,157 crore for the same.
Moghe assured the House that the government will raise at least 50 per cent of the pending demand through supplementary grants or by making budgetary provisions for the next fiscal.

"We will distribute this amount before October," he said.
BJP legislator Devendra Fadanvis, however, said the government had earlier decided that the amount will be distributed by March.
Suggesting that the delay in disbursement could be a deliberate attempt on the part of some state officials and functionaries, Fadanvis asked the government to look into the matter.

The Leader of Opposition Eknath Khadse later alleged that his own daughter, who is studying in a medical college, was a victim of such delay.
Jitendra Avhad (NCP) and Praniti Shinde (Cong) also criticised the delay in disbursements. Later on, Opposition legislators staged a walkout over the issue.
Moghe said that the scholarship amount disbursed by the state was the highest in the country. He said that the government provided scholarships to 10.75 lakh students last year and will serve 11 lakh students this year.