Harpal Cheema misleading on scholarship scheme: Vijay Sampla

Chandigarh, June 10

Former Union Minister and ex-chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Vijay Sampla criticised Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema for presenting misleading facts and figures regarding the post-matric scholarship scheme.

Sampla said the BJP-led Union government had released hundreds of crores of rupees to Punjab for the scheme, but the state government had failed to utilise these funds for the betterment of Dalit students.

During a press conference on Monday, Sampla stated, “Cheema claimed that the Centre had not released its 60 per cent share of funds for students enrolled under the scheme since 2017. This statement is baseless.”

Sampla said, “According to data from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Union government released Rs 229 crore for Dalit students in Punjab in 2020-21, in addition to Rs 140 crore that was lying unutilised by the Punjab Government. The government had acknowledged that the Centre’s funds of Rs 140 crore remained unutilised.”