BASANT KUMAR MOHANTY
New Delhi, Dec. 11: The Bengal government could have ensured a monthly scholarship of Rs 500 for nearly 22,000 poor schoolchildren in the state over the past three years, without any damage to its own pocket. Instead, it chose to help just about 3,000 get the scholarship.
The National Means-Cum-Merit Scholarship, launched in 2008-09, looks to benefit about one lakh Class IX students every year. The State Bank of India pays the entire sum, which the students receive till they clear Class XII.
All that the states need do is hold a test, select eligible students according to the quota for each state, and send the list to the Centre along with the students’ bank account numbers.
Bengal, whose quota is 7,250 students per year, sent just 2,601 names the first year and a meagre 409 names in 2009-10. It has sent none so far in the current fiscal that ends next March. “Despite repeated reminders, the response from Bengal has been poor,” a central government source said.
“The reason could be that the funds are not routed through the states; there is no scope for ghost beneficiaries. The SBI directly deposits the money in the students’ accounts.”
Bengal is the second-worst laggard behind Assam, which, with a yearly quota of 2,411, has not sent a single name for the scholarship in three years.
Bengal has also lagged in responding to another central scheme that aims to set up “model degree colleges” in educationally backward districts. There are 374 such districts in India, including 17 of Bengal’s 19 districts.
The Centre had sought proposals by March 2011, with details of the sites, infrastructure and the like. Most states haven’t sent a single proposal, and Bengal is among them.
Why does Bengal who every now and then go to the centre with a begging bowl not use the money given to it.
Simple.
They cannot spend it as they want on their cadres.
They would like the money to benefit only their party cadres.
If it benefits others, they are not interested.
They would rather forgo that money.
The above is from the Telegraph
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