Delayed Scholarship
Dimapur, Jan. 7 (EMN): Accusing the Nagaland government of ‘breaching’ its own assurance, the Eastern Nagaland College Students' Union (ENCSU) has ‘challenged’ the former as well as the department of Higher Education to “come up with concrete reason” for their failure to disburse the academic scholarships.
A statement from the ENCSU on Sun. reminded that the chief secretary of Nagaland, in the presence of the director of Higher Education, Finance commissioner, Home commissioner, and the chairman of SIT, had on Dec. 7 2017 assured to release the scholarships before Christmas.
It wondered if the assurance was simply a government manoeuvre to ‘fool the Naga students.’ “...or its the department is (sic) trying to kill the career of its own children/students.
“The ENCSU also demand the government and the department of Higher Education to come up with solution to its own creation problem (sic) immediately and ask not to take advantage of patience shown by thousand of Naga students,” the statement read.
It stated that the government’s failure was ‘nothing but a big shame that reflects the system’ of the present government. The ENCSU queried how the state government was yet to receive the final instalment from the central government when we are already into a new year.
“The demand is not a new but the students are just asking for our rightful share that are credited to us by the central government. It is very sad that even the small amount means (sic) for students scholarship are misused and mismanaged,” it stated.
The ENCSU warned that it was “on hand” to lock the gates of the Directorate of Higher Education. “Since the government and the department is so adamant with our demands (sic), we will celebrate New Year in very different way,” it stated while asserting that the union should not be held responsible for any situation during the course of protest/agitation.
To avoid any confrontation, it asked the government to release full scholarship immediately. “So, ENCSU appeal all the students to stay prepared mentally and physically to fight for justice and rights”.
It also asked the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to submit its report to the government immediately and publish it in the newspapers. The SIT should submit an ‘impartial report’, it stated while announcing that it would ‘flash out the details of misused scholarship and the person involved’ in the event of anyone trying to ‘protect the wrongdoers’.
