Despite the administration promising to simplify procedures for availing various scholarships and bank loans by minority students, the benefits are caught in an official maze.
Scores of parents who participated at an interactive programme organised by the Andhra Pradesh State Minorities Commission here on Monday vented their grievances on the matter.
Income certificate
The unanimous view was that the government should drop the income certificate as a requirement and instead, ask for ration cards or the Aadhaar.
“Getting an income certificate is most difficult. We are forced to approach a broker and pay him a few hundred rupees for every certificate,” said Noorjahan Begum, a parent.
A headmaster of a government-managed school felt the authorities should intervene, familiar as they were with the socio-economic conditions of the school students.
“In case of government schools, authorities should make a bona fide certificate as the criterion and sanction the scholarship,” he said.
Bank accounts
People were also sceptical of banks not opening ‘no-frills’ accounts for scholarships.
“Under the cover of some departmental circulars or instructions, they are avoiding it,” an activist complained. Ditto when it comes to student loans, he added.
Ironically, neither officials of APSMFC nor those of the Minority Welfare department turned up at the workshop, much to the chagrin of the participants.
“It shows how serious the officials are when it comes to minorities issues,” M. A. Qudoos, a parent from Golconda lamented. Scholarships and bank loans are routed through the APSMFC.
Later, Abid Rasool Khan, Chairman, A.P State Minorities Commission, said that he would bring the issues to the notice of the Chief Minister and assured that such programmes would be organised across the State shortly to understand the ground realities. Officials of various banks and the Hyderabad district administration participated in the programme.
