Govt to deposit scholarship amount in colleges’ account
By Vikas Vaidya
In a major respite to colleges, Maharashtra Government in cabinet meeting on Thursday decided to credit scholarship dues in accounts of colleges. Tuition fees and examination fees will be deposited in the accounts of colleges while maintenance allowance will be given to students directly. This will be done within next four weeks. ‘The Hitavada’ has raised this issue consistently.
This arrangement of depositing amount in the colleges’ accounts is done only for the due amount of scholarship given to the students of reserved category and to those who come under Economically Backward Class (EBC), of the year 2017-18 under some rules and conditions. The amounts already credited in the accounts of the reserved category students admitted under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) will be excluded from the amount to be given by the Government to colleges now.
The recently framed scheme envisaged that entire money is credited into students account. They in turn were expected to pay tuition fees to colleges. However, in majority of cases, the students simply withdrew money and refused to deposit it with colleges, leaving educational institutions in a lurch. The process of DBT was delayed by one full year as a result, entire educational sector has been forced to go through existential crisis. Many institutions had to borrow money from banks to pay the salaries. However, some 30 per cent students, sincerely deposited their tuition fees with their college. Interestingly, a large number of beneficiary students simply denied that they have received the scholarship amount, putting colleges in a tight spot. The zero balance issue added to complications.
To resolve the crisis, Colleges made lot of efforts and a delegation of engineering colleges. But alas! Fed up with so much delay on the part of Maharashtra Government in getting amount against the fees of the students paid through scholarship, the colleges in Nagpur had decided to knock the door of Bombay High Court. Colleges could take this step against the backdrop of the Bombay high court directions, that had asked the Social Justice Department to immediately release the amount of Rs 117 crore and deposit the same with the Court to be distributed to Sinhgad Technical Education Society (STES ) to clear pending salaries of staff.
Following this judgment, Vidarbha Uanaided Private Management Association swung into action and decided to file a petition in Bombay High Court.
Division Bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice Bhushan Gavai and Justice Bharati Dangre had given an ultimatum to Maharashtra Government to not to deposit any money of scholarship in students’ accounts under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme till it finds the proper solution to this issue.
Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhkoni had informed the Bombay High Court that the issue would be put before the Cabinet on May 2 and Government would submit the affidavit to this effect on May 4. The High Court directed the Advocate General to come with comprehensive solution on May 4 on this issue so that neither colleges, nor students suffer in future. Respecting Court order Devendra Fadnavis Government took a decision on Thursday to deposit the amount in colleges accounts.
In a major respite to colleges, Maharashtra Government in cabinet meeting on Thursday decided to credit scholarship dues in accounts of colleges. Tuition fees and examination fees will be deposited in the accounts of colleges while maintenance allowance will be given to students directly. This will be done within next four weeks. ‘The Hitavada’ has raised this issue consistently.
This arrangement of depositing amount in the colleges’ accounts is done only for the due amount of scholarship given to the students of reserved category and to those who come under Economically Backward Class (EBC), of the year 2017-18 under some rules and conditions. The amounts already credited in the accounts of the reserved category students admitted under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) will be excluded from the amount to be given by the Government to colleges now.
The recently framed scheme envisaged that entire money is credited into students account. They in turn were expected to pay tuition fees to colleges. However, in majority of cases, the students simply withdrew money and refused to deposit it with colleges, leaving educational institutions in a lurch. The process of DBT was delayed by one full year as a result, entire educational sector has been forced to go through existential crisis. Many institutions had to borrow money from banks to pay the salaries. However, some 30 per cent students, sincerely deposited their tuition fees with their college. Interestingly, a large number of beneficiary students simply denied that they have received the scholarship amount, putting colleges in a tight spot. The zero balance issue added to complications.
To resolve the crisis, Colleges made lot of efforts and a delegation of engineering colleges. But alas! Fed up with so much delay on the part of Maharashtra Government in getting amount against the fees of the students paid through scholarship, the colleges in Nagpur had decided to knock the door of Bombay High Court. Colleges could take this step against the backdrop of the Bombay high court directions, that had asked the Social Justice Department to immediately release the amount of Rs 117 crore and deposit the same with the Court to be distributed to Sinhgad Technical Education Society (STES ) to clear pending salaries of staff.
Following this judgment, Vidarbha Uanaided Private Management Association swung into action and decided to file a petition in Bombay High Court.
Division Bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice Bhushan Gavai and Justice Bharati Dangre had given an ultimatum to Maharashtra Government to not to deposit any money of scholarship in students’ accounts under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme till it finds the proper solution to this issue.
Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhkoni had informed the Bombay High Court that the issue would be put before the Cabinet on May 2 and Government would submit the affidavit to this effect on May 4. The High Court directed the Advocate General to come with comprehensive solution on May 4 on this issue so that neither colleges, nor students suffer in future. Respecting Court order Devendra Fadnavis Government took a decision on Thursday to deposit the amount in colleges accounts.
Comments
Post a Comment