Chandigarh, July 10, 2019 (Yes Punjab News)
Senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Punjab Assembly, Harpal Singh Cheema, has slammed the Modi-led government for changing the format and formula of payment of the post-matric scholarship to a large number of ‘dalit’ students, saying the move had exposed the anti-face of the government.
In a statement issued from party headquarters in Chandigarh on Wednesday, Cheema said that by denying scholarship schemes to millions of ‘Dalit’ students reflected the anti-dalit mindset of the Modi government, stating the move was out to ruin the careers of the ‘dalit’ youth.
The AAP leader said that the Modi-led government, an ally of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), had been hell bent on ruining the careers of millions of beneficiaries by shifting its fiscal responsibilities to the state governments, which, he said, was unfortunate. He lamented that the states which were unable to pay even 10 per cent of amount earmarked for the purpose, how they would be able to pay 40 per cent under the new-found 60:40 formula.
Cheema said that had Captain Amarinder Singh-led Congress government in the state sensitive to the cause of a large number of ‘Dalit’ beneficiaries of the welfare schemes, a whopping amount to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore would not have been pending since three years.
Cheema urged Captain Amarinder Singh to take up the issue with the Modi government to take it to the conclusive end, saying the AAP would raise the issue in both the Houses of Parliament and Punjab Assembly for redressal.
