Gujarat to get Rs 180 cr from Centre for scholarship scheme

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government will receive Rs 180 crore from the Centre during this financial year under the post-matric scholarship scheme announced recently for the Scheduled Caste (SC) students, a minister said on Wednesday.

In December last year, the Union Cabinet had approved Rs 59,000 crore for the post-matric scholarship for more than four crore SC students. "Under the new pattern, the Centre will spend 60 per cent on scholarship, while each state's share is 40 per cent," state Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Ishwar Parmar said at a press conference at the state BJP headquarters in Gandhinagar.

"The Gujarat government's annual committed liability for this scheme was Rs 309.43 crore. Of this, the Centre gave us Rs 15 crore as its share in the previous fiscal. "Now, after this announcement by the Centre, Gujarat will get Rs 180 crore in the current financial year of 2020- 21, which is a nearly 12.5 fold increase," he said.

"Rs 15 crore from the Centre was just 4.85 per cent of our committed liability of Rs 309.43 crore. Now, the Union government's share rose to 60 per cent while the state has to shell out 40 per cent," Parmar added. Gujarat BJP president C R Paatil, who was present on the occasion, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking a decision "for the welfare of students of the SC community".

"The state never received more than Rs 20 crore from the Centre on an average for post matric scholarship. Now, with the approval of Rs 59,000 crore by the Centre, we will receive Rs 180 crore, a 12 fold increase in the funds for providing scholarships to SC students," he added.

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