Early TImes Report
Srinagar, Sept 6: Coaching Centres Association, (CCA) has warned of a colossal tragedy arising out of shady dealings of Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) in Kashmir.
Terming yesterday's protests by students as a warning sign, CCA in its statement has called on both centre and state government to come clean over their conduct. Neither of the two can wash their hands off the mess created by PMSSS, which has threatened career of thousands of students.
It is a deep rooted conspiracy under which government has tacitly allowed the Rs 1200 crore scheme to be hijacked by a well organized 'Scholarship Mafia,' comprising of many NGOs, consultants and intermediates. There was a criminal silence from government quarters when this mafia started to dupe local students in the name of PMSSS.
More than 9000 forms have been submitted by these touts against the vacancy of just 5000 scholarships. And all of them have been assured of the scholarship, and thus fleeced of anywhere between Rs 25000 to Rs 1.5 lakhs. CCA warned the government to brace up for influx of thousands of frustrated students who will be kicked out of their colleges, as these touts have placed them in shady colleges and against the norms of PMSSS.
Regarding a recent notification issued by Higher education department, CCA said that the government cannot shed their responsibility by simply issuing a notification. Ironically the notification was also issued on September 05, 2013, whereas the deadline for submission of PMSSS forms was 23 August, 2013. This amounts to a cruel joke played on students. Had they been warned of any Mafia beforehand, they would have simply withdrawn their forms. But it seems some government officials deliberately delayed the notification to allow that Mafia to have a fields day.
Even the MHRD officials have been delaying awareness campaign for this scheme, further helping the mafia.
CCA has demanded a CBI probe in this multi crore scandal as it involves not only local NGO's, but touts and some officials from both J&K and New Delhi. |
