Hundreds of students in the district are left in the lurch after the fee concessions from the Backward Classes and Minorities welfare departments are tied up in bureaucratic knots.
Officials estimate that around 13,000 students — from Pre-University level to post-graduate level — receive between Rs. 800 and Rs. 40,000 as fee concession every year in the district. With the separation of the Minorities Welfare Department from the Backward Classes and Minorities Department in July last year, nearly 8,000 backward classes students claim their concession was paid in staggered instalments; while, for around 5,000 minority students, the fee concession option had been entirely withdrawn due to “budget issues”.
Health Minister U.T. Khader said by the time the departments had finalised the separation of responsibilities, the budget had been decided. “We have asked the Backward Classes department to bear the costs till the issue is sorted out,” he said.
An official at the Backward Classes Welfare Department said they were waiting for cheques from the Treasury and the students would receive their money by April 15.
