SAMAJWADI PARTY (SP) leaders, officials of the District Administration and District Inspector of School (DIOS) are once again in the line of fire for anomalies in the distribution of Kanya Vidya Dhan.
Students have accused SP leaders, district administration and DIOS officials for flouting norms in the distribution of cheques. Students alleged that factors kept in mind for disbursement of scholarship amount were political clout, bribes, right connection in the DIOS office and backing of influential officials of the district administration.
Senior SP leader Surendra Mohan Agarwal gave away Kanya Vidya Dhan cheques to about 5,000 girls on Thursday last. Several girls staged a protest demonstration, for having been denied cheques, during the programme right on the main stage where the SP leaders were sitting. The SP leaders had to confront a hostile crowd too and could leave the venue only after police intervention.
“Students who did not deserve the scholarship were given cheques,” alleged Mona Kumari, student of Swarasti Girls Inter College. Lakshmi, Kumari’s 75 year-old grandmother, broke down while speaking about the allegations.
She said, “After my son’s death, my daughter-in-law and I have worked very hard to take care of my grand-daughter. The Kanya Vidya Dhan was our only hope in helping her go for higher studies”.
Ruchi Yadav, daughter of a rickshaw-puller, who could have been one of the deserving candidates for the Kanya Vidya Dhan, was also denied her due. Ruchi, student of RBID Inter College, said, “Even after making several rounds of the office of DIOS and fulfilling all formalities I was denied the scholarship. I was told I had submitted a fake income certificate. Unfortunately, I had been issued the fake certificate from the office of the tehsildar where I had, according to directives, applied for the certificate. It is not my fault”.
Meanwhile, Priyanka Pathak of Maharishi Vashistha Vidhya Ashram and Anamika of Prakash Vidhya Mandir Inter College accused the principal and management of their respective schools for demanding bribe to help them get the scholarship amount. “My principal demanded Rs 5,000 for the inclusion of my name in the final list,” alleged Priyanka Pathak.
Is the scheme going to create problems for the ruling party in the forthcoming elections?
Source: HT Media Ltd. 2006.
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