Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today asked Centre for release of assistance towards post-matric scholarship to Scheduled Caste students.
In a letter to Thawar Chand Gehlot, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, he said, "I would request your personal intervention for early release of the claims of the state towards post-matric scholarship for SC students."
Patnaik said, the assistance released by the ministry towards post-matric scholarship to SC students has been grossly inadequate since 2014-15.
"This has created significant arrears receivable from the ministry and the progressive outstanding dues amount to Rs 121.17 crore till 2014-15," the Chief Minister said.
Such huge gap in receipt of Central assistance against the actual requirement was not only putting the socially and economically poor SC students to hardship, it also posed serious challenges to the state government in managing the grievances of hapless students, he said.
Noting his government attaches top priority to education of children belonging to weaker sections of the society, Patnaik said, to ensure their careers were not jeopardised, the state has incurred expenditure out of its own budget provisions of 2015-16 to meet the arrear claims of 2014-15.
"You will agree that outstanding receivable of Rs 121.17 crore is putting extra financial burden on the already stretched revenue resources of the state government," the Chief Minister said.
"Therefore, there is an urgent need of recouping this arrear amount by allocation from your ministry, to meet the requirement of the scholarship claims of the SC students for the current financial year, 2015-16," he added.
