Sampla takes on Jakhar over post-matric scholarship row

Jakhar playing politics with Scheduled Castes, misleading them: Sampla
Says, Centre has released funds but Punjab government not disbursing them to SC students

Chandigarh, August 6, 2018: Union minister and former Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla today lambasted Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar for playing politics with the Scheduled Castes over the issue of post-matric scholarship. Asking Jakhar to refrain from misleading the Scheduled Castes, Sampla said that the Centre had already released Rs 327.39 crore for the Post-Matric Scholarship scheme but the Punjab government was dilly-dallying in disbursing the money. Terming the government as anti-Scheduled Caste, Sampla said that the photo-ops were a part of the Congress’ culture.

Sampla said that the allegations leveled by Sunil Jakhar, Ambkia Soni, Pratap Singh Bajwa, Ch. Santokh Singh, Gurjit Aujla and MP Ravneet Bittu that the Centre government is not releasing Rs 1287 crore of Punjab’s share under the Post-Matric Scholarship scheme is baseless and an utter lie.

The union minister said that the Modi government had released Rs 115 crore 15 months ago, and the Scheduled Caste students know very well how the money was disbursed. He said, “It’s been almost one-and-a-half months since the Centre released Rs. 327.39 crore. Instead of disbursing it, Sunil Jakhar chose of sitting on Dharna outside the Lok Sabha on August 2 because he seems more interested in getting his pictures clicked. I would advise him that he should leave politics and start acting in movies given his penchant for photo-ops”.

Sampla further said that Jakhar was unaware of the four meetings which were held between the Centre and the state government on the issue of releasing pending funds of the Post-Matric Scholarship scheme and Punjab minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot was a part of one such meeting. “The Modi government has made it clear that it is willing to clear all the pending funds of the Post-Matric Scholarship scheme, but before that the state government has to issue an audit report for the funds already received. However, the state government has taken no steps to issue the audit report. Instead, the pot is calling the kettle black”, said Sampla.

Sampla again reiterated that it was only the Punjab government that should be held responsible for not paying the colleges under the Post-Matric Scholarship scheme. If Jakhar and other Congressmen want to sit on a Dharna, they should do it outside the CM’s residence, he added.