Imna Along assures transparency in disbursing scholarship to students

The minister appeals to Naga political groups not to ‘demand anything’ from Education department

Our Correspondent
Kohima, July 7 (EMN): Minister for Higher and Technical Education, and Tribal Affairs, Temjen Imna Along has appealed to the Naga political groups not to ‘demand anything’ from Higher and Technical Education, as the department ‘works for the welfare of the students’.

Addressing a press conference in Kohima on Tuesday, Along said that the department should be exempt from ‘any kind of demand and appeal’, even though the needs of those making the demands may be many.

“It is not that we do not like them, but this department works solely and wholly for the students’ welfare,” he said.

Transparency

The minister assured transparency in the process of disbursing scholarship to students. Last year, the department could release scholarships that were left pending due to certain litigations, he added.

Along assured the student community that there will be no room for corruption or any such litigations any more.

The minister appealed to the students to claim the unclaimed cheques as soon as possible. ‘If it is not claimed within a certain time, the department will revert back the money to the ministry, or from where it received the money, as per the ministry guidelines,’ he said.

Along said that the department was trying its best to ‘develop and build the future of the people’, with limited resources and manpower.

The president of All Nagaland College Students’ Union, Vimeyiekho Vitso, said that the union has been informed that some students were unable to claim their scholarships.

According to him, from 2014 to 2017, around 860 students have ‘failed to come forward and claim their cheques’, which amounts to around INR 38,58,355. He urged the department to ‘do the needful’.

He appreciated the department for coming up with the public finance management system through which it has ‘minimised the time period of disbursing scholarship’.