No cut in post-matric scholarship for SC/ST students in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: After facing wrath over slashing of post-matric scholarship amount meant for the students belonging to SC and ST categories in Odisha, the State Government today revoked its decision.

In this regard, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has ordered to put a notification issued by the SC/ST Department on hold and asked the officials for review.

ଅନୁସୂଚିତ ଜାତି ଓ ଜନଜାତି ଛାତ୍ରଛାତ୍ରୀଙ୍କ କଲ୍ୟାଣ ଓ ହିତକୁ ଦୃଷ୍ଟିରେ ରଖି ମ୍ୟାଟ୍ରିକ ପରବର୍ତ୍ତୀ ଶିକ୍ଷାବୃତ୍ତି ଅପରିବର୍ତ୍ତିତ ରଖିବାକୁ ମୁଖ୍ୟମନ୍ତ୍ରୀ ଶ୍ରୀ @Naveen_Odisha କହିଛନ୍ତି। ଏଥିସହ ଏସସିଏସଟି ବିଭାଗ ଦ୍ଵାରା ପ୍ରକାଶିତ ଏ ସଂକ୍ରାନ୍ତ ବିଜ୍ଞପ୍ତିକୁ ସ୍ଥଗିତ ରଖି ବିଶଦ ଅନୁଧ୍ୟାନ ପାଇଁ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦେଶ ଦେଇଛନ୍ତି।

— CMO Odisha (@CMO_Odisha) November 8, 2020

With the decision, there will be no change in post-matric scholarship amount being sanctioned for the SC/ST students in Odisha.

They will continue to get fee for studies under the existing post-matric scholarship programme.

The clarification by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) came a day after Odisha Pradesh Youth Congress hit out at Naveen-led BJD government for reducing the course fee amount for the SC/ST students under the post-Matric scholarship.

Briefing a presser, the State Youth Congress President Smruti Ranjan Lenka showed a copy of notification issued by the State SC/ST Department.

He alleged the government of slashing the course from Rs 60,000 to Rs 25,000 for the SC/ST students in B.Tech, from Rs 66,000 to Rs 25,000 in M.Tech, from Rs 40,000 to Rs 8200 in Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS), from Rs 40,000 to Rs 7200 in Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) and from Rs 45,000 to Rs 25,000 for the students pursing B.Pharma in various institutions in Odisha.

The Youth Congress leader said that the poor students belonging to SC and ST who have been already enrolled into various courses will not be able to complete the studies as the government has reduced the course fee amount under the post-matric scholarship programme.