Chandigarh 17 October : Due to the non-payment of Post Matric scholarship funds meant for SC and OBC students by the state government, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) today decided to intensify the ongoing stir for the release of funds from the Government. A Press conference of all the 13 Associations of Unaided Self Financed Colleges was today held in Chandigarh Press club in which it was decided that all the colleges would observe Bandh on 21-22nd October with the hosting of Black Flags on the college buildings. Dr. Anshu Kataria, Spokesman, JAC said that the managements of all the colleges would also handover a memorandum to all the Cabinet Ministers of the Punjab and spread awareness about the issue among common people. The JAC warned the Govt. that if balance scholarship will not be released sooner, then all the institutes will start a mass agitation and it may turn to a movement.
The presidents of all the 13 different colleges Associations including Dr. J.S Dhaliwal, President, PUTIA; Sh. Jagjit Singh, President, Federation of Self-Financed B.Ed college of Punjab; Dr. Anshu Kataria, President, PUCA; Sh. Rajinder Dhanoa, Gen. Secretary, Association of Polytechnic Colleges of Punjab; Mr. Charanjit Walia, President, Nursing Colleges Association; Sh. Amarjeet Walia, Ayurvedic Association; Dr. Vikram Sharma, Dental Association; S. Nirmal Singh, ETT Federation; Jasnik Singh Kakkar, B.Ed Association (Panjab University); Satwinder Singh Sandhu, B.Ed Association (GNDU); Shimanshu Gupta, Private ITI Association; Gurmeet Dhaliwal, Chairman, Academic Advisory Forum; Sukhmander Singh Chatha, President, Punjab Unaided Degree Colleges, Association were present during the press conference.
Dr. J.S Dhaliwal, President, PUTIA while addressing the press conference said there is no bogus admission in Punjab as stated by Govt. through some media reports. The number shown as forged claim may be of drop out students. The students drop their study mid way due to many reasons e.g. entrance of student into some job or marriage of girl students etc. which cannot be termed as “Bogus”. The Government of Punjab has already conducted many enquiries related to this claim of 2014-15. He further said that it seems that terming the drop out as bogus is just another tactic of the Government to delay the release of scholarship funds.
Sh. Jagjit Singh, President, Federation of Self-Financed B.Ed college of Punjab said that now Government is saying that govt will reimburse the scholarship at par the lowest fee structure of Govt. Colleges, which is clearly the violation of the central scheme. The Scheme states that the colleges will be reimbursed the paid seat fee, if such fee is decided by the state Govt. So all the unaided colleges shall be reimbursed the paid seat fee to all such colleges where there is a difference of fee in Govt. and private colleges.
Dr. Anshu Kataria, President, PUCA and spokesman JAC said that by making an excuse of very less number of drop out students the Govt. is creating havoc with the unaided colleges by not paying scholarship of more than 2.85 lacs of 2014-15 and around 3 lacs students of 2015-16. The students facing it hard to continue their studies due to non reimbursement of Maintenance Allowance. Kataria added that Centre Government has already released some amount to the State Government and it seems that the Govt. has utilized this fee to some other head and hence playing delay tactics of different types.
S. Gurmeet Singh Dhaliwal, Chairman, Academic Advisory Forum, Punjabi University while speaking on the occasion said that the educational institutes should be made tax free. Because by providing the education these institutes are serving the Govt. duty. This is a social cause but there are many taxes and other charges being charged from the institutions like stamp duties, CLU Charges, EDC, Transport taxes, VAT, Building access etc. The rate of power is also very high for institutions as compared to industry. Hence there should be a different category for institutions for power tariff.
It is to be mentioned that last time on 7th October Punjab Bandh was observed by more than 700 Colleges and Private universities of Punjab. This time the Bandh would be observed around thousands Colleges as those colleges which were not part of any association are joining now to show soliditary with the JAC. The JAC stated that they will spread the message of cause among masses of the state that instead of lauding the efforts of the unaided colleges for providing education, it seems the Govt. want the closure of these institutions by adopting anti SC and anti Institute policies.
It is to be mentioned that for 2014-15 around 80 Crore has not been fully disbursed while 400 Crore is due for 2015-16. Around 500 crore would become due for 2016-17 for which admissions are already over and students would be appearing in an examination December. But if payment would not be made then it will become tough for colleges to survive.
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