NCSC seeks CAG probe into scholarship disbursal in Punjab

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has sought a probe by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) into alleged irregularities in disbursal of post matric scholarships for Scheduled Caste students in Punjab.

NCSC has written to CAG recommending a probe into what the commission has termed as a “multi-crore scholarship scam”. Speaking to ET, NCSC chairman Vijay Sampla said, “We have written to CAG to investigate this scam which allegedly involves crores of central government’s money meant for meritorious SC students being siphoned off. According to our estimates about 2 lakh SC college students in Punjab have dropped out over the last two years due to non-payment of scholarship amount by the state government.” Sampla said there were close to 3 lakh SC students who benefitted from the post matric scholarship scheme in Punjab in 2017 but this number has dwindled to 1-1.25 lakh in 2020.

The alleged irregularities in the disbursal of post matric scholarships had come to light in 2020 when Punjab additional chief secretary (social justice) Kirpa Shankar Saroj had given a damning report against the then minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, who was in Capain Amarinder Singh’s Cabinet. Saroj had pointed out that the department had gone against set government policies to benefit certain educational institutions and siphoned of money meant to be disbursed to SC students. The report had red-flagged payments made through cheques instead of RTGS, flouting of high court order which had directed stopping payment to an institution and payment to private technical colleges when they had crores of dues pending causing a loss to the Exchequer. The report had pointed out that records pertaining to Rs 39 crore were missing. Congress government had ordered a probe by chief secretary Vini Mahajan in the post matric scholarship scam. However, Mahajan did not find any wrongdoing on part of Dharamsot, who is currently in judicial custody on charges of illegal felling of trees. The siphoning off of funds had become a major election issue in the run up to the Assembly polls earlier this year.


Sampla said, “We have sought a reply from the Punjab government also. But we have now recommended a thorough probe by CAG.”