For the last four years, Martand Vaghmode of Bagalkot is running from pillar to post to get the government scholarship sanctioned for his nephew.
His nephew had cleared the NTSE state-level examination in 2008 and was supposed to get Rs 2,400, annually. He had written several letters to the State Government’s Department of Secondary Educational Research and Training. But neither did he receive money nor any response from the department, in the last three years.
Vaghmode’s nephew is not the only one who has been denied scholarship. There are many who have not received a penny so far. Shivalinga Kanitkar (name changed) said that his daughter appeared for the NMMS exam in 2008 and the results were declared in 2009. “Since then, I have been writing to the DSERT authorities and have spoken to them over phone several times, but my daughter has not got a paisa. Several parents in Bagalkot district, whose children have passed the examination, have not received a penny.”
Eligible to appear
As per rule, the Class 8 students can appear for the examination and those who pass the NTSE state-level examination, are entitled for Rs 200 per month, and those who have cleared the national-level exam are entitled for Rs 500 per month. Those who clear NMMS are also entitled for a scholarship of Rs 500 per month.
According to Vaghmode, no one in the State has received the scholarship since 2007. “Children in other parts of the State too have not received the scholarship for the last four years,” he added.
He also alleged that the officials of the Education department were threatening him and the others of criminal action against them, on the grounds that the pass certificates they possessed were fake.
When contacted, DSERT officer Krishnamurthy said, “The department has not blocked anyone’s money. Some people might not have opened savings account in any nationalised bank, which might have prevented us from depositing the amount.”
However, Vaghmode and others refute Krishnamurthy’s statement, claiming it to be a lame excuse.