SC/ST scholarship: BSP members stage walkout

THE BAHUJAN Samaj Party (BSP) members on Monday staged a walkout in the Vidhan Sabha to protest against what they called the State Government?s laxity in ensuring distribution of scholarship to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes students.

THE BAHUJAN Samaj Party (BSP) members on Monday staged a walkout in the Vidhan Sabha to protest against what they called the State Government’s laxity in ensuring distribution of scholarship to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes students.

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The State Government, however, held the Centre responsible for the prevailing situation. Replying to hour-long debate, Minister for Social Welfare Awadhesh Prasad said the State Government financed the scholarships for students up to class X while the Union Government provided funds for students of class X and above. The Centre had not made funds to the tune of Rs 447.46 crore to the State Government. This was the main reason for the delay in distribution of scholarship, he said adding that Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had also sent letters in this regard to the Centre. Meanwhile, Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey decided to allow half-an-hour debate in the Assembly on the issue of desecration of Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar statue in different parts of the State. Speaking on the admissibility of an adjournment motion during Zero Hour, BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya, Sukhdev Rajbhar and Indrajeet Saroj said a conspiracy had been hatched to insult Ambedkar. About half-a-dozen statues had been desecrated in the past 15 days, he said adding that the State Government, however, had failed to identify those behind the incidents.

The Assembly also passed the UP Madhyamik Shiksha Seva Chayan Board (second amendment) Bill 2006 to extend tenure of its members from four years to six years.