Nagaland govt received Rs 19 crores for scholarship in Dec 2017

February 1, 2018 3572 Views 1 Comment

Naga Republic News

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India released a total of Rs 19 crores under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Post Matric Scholarships to the Nagaland government. Two separate sanction order of Rs 6.1 crore and Rs 13 crore were issued over the course of a week between December 13 and December 20, 2017, according to official papers accessed by The Naga Republic.

Nagaland was under the grip of wide spread protest in 2017 by student bodies demanding the timely payment of scholarship. Given the public outcry over the delay, the State government had even ordered a probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by IGP (INT) into alleged misuse of funds under the scholarship.

While the outcome of this probe is not known, the All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) had on December 18 called off the dharna after getting an assurance from the Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang on its charter of demands. The CM had assured payment by the next day i.e. December 19.

Interestingly the Ministry of Tribal Affairs released the amount of Rs 6.1 crore and Rs 13 crore on December 13 and December 20, 2017 respectively. This may have allowed the CM to give guarantee on timely payment of the scholarship.

Meanwhile one of the student body which had also taken part in the protest has alleged ‘breach’ on the part of the government pointing out that the scholarship has not been paid. On January 7, 2018, the Eastern Nagaland College Students’ Union (ENCSU) disclosed that the Government of Nagaland has still not paid Post Matric Scholarships for 2016-17. It had asked students to be prepared, mentally and physically, for a “final movement against the non-release of our scholarship for 2016-17.”

The ENCSU, in a press release from its President, M Longre Chang, and General Secretary, Wangnei C Jessuhu, has challenged the Department of Higher Education and the Government of Nagaland to “come up with concrete reason in regard to delaying to disburse Post Matric Scholarship for 2016-17.

According to the ENCSU this delay was even after the assurance produced by the Chief secretary in presence of Director of Higher Education, Finance Commissioner, Home Commissioner, Chairman of SIT and the students organization on December 7, 2017 at Chief Secretary Conference Hall, to disburse scholarship in full amount on or before 25th December 2017.

The ENCSU also asked the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to submit their report immediately to the Government and publish the same in the print media.

The latest sanction order of Rs 6.1 crore is for release of scholarship money for the year 2016-17 as 2nd installment while the sanction order of Rs 13 crore is mentioned for 2017-18 financial year.

For fund sanction letter see links below:

Sanction order of Rs 6.1 crore for Post Matric Scholarship — Dec 13, 2017

Sanction order of Rs 13 crore for Post Matric Scholarship — Dec 20, 2017

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