The future of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Programme for the talented students of Balochistan is at stake as the Ministry of Information Technology has backtracked from its commitment to fund the scheme.
The programme for underprivileged students from Balochistan was started in 2011 and the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Information Technology had made commitments to jointly shoulder the scheme.
Under the programme, four boys and one girl who pass seventh grade and are between the ages of 12 and 14 are selected on merit from each of the 30 districts of Balochistan. Under the programme, the tuition expenses of the student are borne by the federal government through CADD.
An estimated Rs300,000 are spent on every student for up to five years of their education. The withholding of its share by the Ministry of Information Technology for future funding has jeopardised the academic session 2014-15 for fourth-batch students.
According to documents available with The Express Tribune, currently 300 students (60 girls and 240 boys) from Balochistan are enrolled in 30 cadet colleges and other public schools across the country.
The said the programme is also registered with the Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan under the Companies Ordinance.
CADD has communicated to the Cabinet Division that by backing out, the IT ministry could jeopardise the scheme if early intervention was not made.
“The present situation of funding for the educational institutes is worrisome as the Ministry of Information Technology, despite its commitment, has only paid for the batch-I of the programme. Payment of dues for four batches from 2012 to 2014 is outstanding against the ministry,” says a CADD memo.
It further says that except for Rs36 million from the Finance Division, nothing has been transferred to the Endowment Fund Company by the Ministry of Information Technology.
The IT ministry has informed the CADD showing its inability to fund the scholarship programme.
On the other hand, the CADD ministry has finalised a list of 150 students of fresh batch for admissions in different institutions.
According to CADD, the withholding of funds by the ministry will jeopardize the scheme. The CADD has also written to the Standing Committee of Cabinet Secretariat appraising it of the problems it was facing in the wake of non-release of funds by the particular ministry.
According to sources in the CADD, many institutes have issued ultimatums to the division for expelling or not allowing the students from taking classes after Eid if the dues were not cleared.
Cadet College Larkana has already expelled the students for non-payment of dues, while some institutions, on CADD’s special request, agreed to extend the admissions on the condition that the entire outstanding dues should be cleared immediately.
“If the situation remains the same, it will cause a serious embarrassment for the government,” says a CADD’s letter issued to the Cabinet Division.
CADD has requested to release all the outstanding dues for all batches and for the new admissions of the fourth-batch for the academic session 2014-15.
According to CADD Additional Secretary Qaiser Majeed, they were trying their best to make sure that the academic year of the students did not suffer due to lack of funds. “We are constantly in constant contact and will hopefully be able to get the funds released soon,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 15th, 2014.
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sir ; I was belonged in a poor family so i need to your scholarship pleez