Demanding a comprehensive judicial enquiry into the multi-million Rupees scam in the dispersal of Pre-Matric and Post-matric scholarship funds to poor and needy Dalit students in the Indian state of Punjab, Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha and a conglomerate of Sikh scholars in Chandigarh have seconded the Punjab Bandh Call on 10 October given by Dalit organisations and the Sant Samaj.

Obfuscating public funds, misappropriating by using it for expenditures other than those intended by law or by executive order are means generally adopted by the Indian Union government and by various state governments. The scholarship scam has become a huge scandal as it is widely alleged and the even the Chief Secretary of the Punjab government had taken cognisance of the same.

Despite protests by various opposition parties, spearheaded by the Lok Insaaf Party of the Bains brothers, the Punjab government has refused to examine the records into the 55 million INR scam in ‘non-disbursement of paltry scholarship funds for Dalit Students from 2017 onwards’ given to the state by the Union government. It is another matter that Chief Minister Punjab is shielding the allegedly guilty Social Welfare Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot.

Scholars Prof. Sukhdev Singh Sirsa, General Secretary Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha, Prof. Sarabjit Singh, Former President Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha, Gurtej Singh IAS, Ajaypal Singh Brar -author, Rajwinder Singh Bains, Senior Advocate Punjab and Haryana High Court, Dr Kuldip Singh Patiala, Gurpreet Singh, President, Global Sikh Council, Gurbachan Singh, Editor Des Punjab, Prof Manjit Singh, Former Head of Dr Ambedkar Chair Punjab University Chandigarh, Dr Pyare Lal Garg, Jaspal Singh Sidhu, Sukhdev Singh Sidhu Senior Journalists, Surinder Singh Kishanpura, kendri Singh sabha Chandigarh, Sant Sarwan Das. Sant Parshotam Lal, Sant Surinder Das, Sant Jagir, Singh, Sant Satwinder Hira and Gurcharan Singh Ramgarh, Savidhan Bachao Andolan Bharat are signatories to the endorsement call.

While speaking to WSN, Gurpreet Singh, the President of the Global Sikh Council said, “We also demand a judicial inquiry into the dispersal of scholarships from 2011 to 2019 to unearth the scam which involved active collusion of Punjab government officials, politicians and management of 1650 private educational institutes. ”

“The involvement of the Union Government officials is also apparent, as otherwise, a scandal of such a magnitude could not have been possible,” he added.

“We also condemn the exoneration of concerned Punjab minister without fixing the responsibility of any in the state government inquiry ordered by the Chief Minister.”

Dr Pyare Lal Garg

It is really said that “nearly a hundred thousand students of Punjab may have lost their chance of higher studies, as the post-matric scholarship which was first wholly funded by the Union government is now supposed to be partially funded by the Punjab government, said Sant Jagir, Singh.

Wondering by the Punjab government would attempt to hush up such a huge scandal in a callous and unethical manner, speaking on behalf of the team of scholars, Dr Pyare Lal Garg. “We also condemn the exoneration of concerned Punjab minister without fixing the responsibility of any in the state government inquiry ordered by the Chief Minister.”