HimVani
Shimla: Highlighting poor implementation of various scholarship schemes in Himachal Pradesh, a CAG report tabled in the state Assembly recently pointed out that as many as 1,975 eligible students of economically backward Sirmaur district were deprived of their due benefits of scholarships as sufficient funds were not made available due to poor management of the schemes by authorities.
The report states that a pre-matric scholarship scheme for OBC students introduced in 2005-06 was not made available to 1,087 students in years 2005-06 to 2006-07 due to non-receipt of budget under this scheme. In FY 2007-08 to 2008-09, identification of beneficiaries to be covered and requirement of funds for the purpose was not done, as it was not managed effectively.
Five samples were tested by CAG team to check the implementation of the scheme at Government Senior Secondary Schools, Dadahu, Sarahan, Nahan boys & Girl and Kaffota, All eligible 129 students were denied the benefit due to non-availability of budget as no data of eligible students was supplied to seek the fund from state government.
In IRDP scholarship (Integrated Rural Development Program) scheme, 309 students were deprived of their due benefit due to non-receipt of budget allocation in PG College Nahan, Sanskrit College Nahan, GSSS Dadahu, Sarahan, Nahan Boys School, Nahan Girls School, Koffota, Ajoli, Govt High Schools (GHSs) Bata-Mandi, Bikram-Bag, Haripur-Khol and Rampur.
Under the post-matric scholarship scheme (PMSS) 333 students were deprived of benefit due to non-availability of budget. Under Kasturba Gandhi Balika Scholarship Scheme introduced in year 2008-09, about 147 girls were identified in the district, but could not be benefited due to non-allocation of budget by the state government.
CAG report concluded that many schools in the district were lacking basic infrastructure facilities and the scholarship were not effectively managed as a database of the actual students to be covered and its periodical updation for assessing the requirement of funds was not being maintained. The report recommends that the state government should carry out a survey and create a database of beneficiaries to be covered under scholarship schemes, which should be updated on annual basis and all the eligible students should be provided scholarship as per norms, in a timely manner.
