List included only three of the 13 students from Rohtak College who have been agitating.
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net,
Srinagar: The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has finally released the Scholarship under Prime Minister Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) on May 21 in favour of 838 Students of Jammu and Kashmir, including three students Rohtak Institute of Engineering and Management (RIEMS).
RIEMS had last month expelled 13 students from Kashmir, but later reinstated them after hue and cry , over nonpayment of scholarship amount under PMSSS by MHRD. Tawseef Ahmad Lone, Tariq Adbullah Shah and Zahoor Ahmad Mir are the students whose names figured in the scholarship list released by MHRD, out of those 13 students.
Students from Kashmir who were expelled from Rohtak based engineering college [Courtesy : Amar Ujala]
“I came to know about my name in the list from one of my friends. When I went through the website, I was happy as well as sad that 10 fellow students’ names couldn’t make to the list,” Tariq Abdullah Shah, who hails from District Anantnag of J&K, told TwoCircles.net.
It is important to mention here that all the 13 students remained on hunger strike in Jantar Mantar , Delhi for four days this month over nonpayment of scholarship promised under PMSSS by the HRD Ministry which was later called off following assurances from PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti.
“We called off our hunger strike following assurance from Peoples Democratic Party President, and MP Mehbooba Mufti who met us in J&K house in Delhi. Following assurance, we were anticipating for the release of scholarship amount. But to our surprise only three names out of 13 students figured in the list. Still we are little bit relieved that some of us made to the list,” Nasir Sofi, one of the 13 students, told Twocircles.net.
Another Student Zahoor Ahmad Mir from District Kupwara said, “I was in deep depression since last two months as the college authorities had expelled us from college as well as from the hostel. My father is labourer who earns just Rs 6000 a month. It was very difficult for me to continue my studies. But after my name figured in scholarship list on Thursday, I was very relieved as my career was saved from getting spoiled,” Zahoor told Twocircles.net, adding that there was festive mood in my home.
All the 13 students post expulsions were living in a three room rented accommodation in Prem Nagar area of Rohtak city, thus incurring a huge sum from their own pockets on food and living.
The PMSSS scheme since its inception had riddled in several scams following inclusion of several mediators and NGOs. Meanwhile, Crime Branch Kashmir have already registered a case this month for alleged cheating of students by some agencies/NGOs on the pretext of providing them benefits under PMSSS.
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Kashmiri Students ‘selected’ under PM scholarships scheme expelled from Rohtak college