E-Paper
PMC uncertain on financial assistance distribution for students
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is uncertain on the disbursement of financial assistance for the year-2020-21 to students of Classes 10 and 12 as the state government has decided not to conduct a board exam due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is uncertain on the disbursement of financial assistance for the year-2020-21 to students of Classes 10 and 12 as the state government has decided not to conduct a board exam due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
PMC’s social development department provides financial assistance of ₹15,000 each for students with distinction in Class 10 and ₹25,000 for distinction in Class 12 under the Abul Kalam Azad and Lokshahir Annabhu Sathe schemes.
Under this scheme, a student must have obtained a minimum 80 per cent in SSC or HSC examination in the year February-March-2020-21 and if a student belongs to Backward Category (BC) or studied in PMC regular/night school, he /she is required to have obtained minimum 70 per cent. For 40 per cent handicapped students, he or she should require a minimum 65 per cent in SSC and HSC examination.
The scheme was introduced in 2009-10 by Shiv sena party corporator and standing committee chairman Shyam Deshpande.
The PMC social development department disburses financial assistance to student’s accounts through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS).
Hemant Rasane, chairman, standing committee said, “We will discuss the issue in the meeting as there is no examination of SSC and HSC this year. Our scheme considers student’s marks obtained in percentage. If there is no examination, how can the state board calculate marks and percentage of students? And how can you disburse the amount to students. It is a challenging task for us.”
Ramdas Chavan, program officer of social development department said, “We will have to discuss the issue with standing committee and senior officials to take final call because SSC and HSC examination-2020-21 cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic. Normally, we give financial assistance to students based on the percentage obtained in SSC and HSC examinations.”
He further said, “In 2019-20 year, we disbursed around ₹17.50 crore of amounts to 11,500 students under the financial assistant schemes. The number of students was less as compared to the year 2018-19. The number was 13,500 in 2018-19 year.”
