Three Punjab Cabinet Ministers on Friday said that Narendra Modi-led Central government has infringed upon the rights of the Dalits and Backward Classes of the state by slashing the Post Matric Scholarship (PMS) funds, thus exposing it's anti-Dalit face.
In a joint statement here, Cabinet ministers Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Charanjit Singh Channi and Aruna Chaudhary said that with the implementation of the new proposal drafted by the BJP-led Union government, regarding the post-matric scholarship, the future of scores of youth belonging to the SC/BC category would be ruined.
They further said that the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has replaced the 90:10 ratio formula pertaining to the post-matric scholarship worked out between the Centre and the State, with a new 60:40 ratio formula. The new formula would put further financial strain on the state governments' exchequer on one hand, while on the other, the SC/BC youth, as well as the school-going children, would be deprived of higher education, they said.
Rejecting outrightly the new proposal, the Punjab Ministers demanded that the old formula of sharing the funds, be restored. They said the states were till 2018, contributing 10 per cent share out of the total Rs 600 crore, but the Modi government is running away from contributing its share.
This has increased the annual burden on the states from Rs 600 crore to Rs 750 crore. They also said that the implementation of the newly-proposed formula would lead to reduction in living standard of the SC/BC category youth.
It would also destroy the actual aim of the scholarship scheme. The Ministers also said that the Central government is proceeding in accordance with the hidden agenda of the RSS, to keep the Dalits and people belonging to the backward classes away from acquiring education, to uplift their lives.
They further said that Punjab government is fully committed to provide all educational facilities and congenial environment for the same to the SC/BC students. Demanding the rollback of the new proposal, the Cabinet Ministers emphasised the restoration of the old formula.
