AMSU tells corrupted scheme officers to confess to their wrongdoings in public

IMPHAL, July 11: The All Manipur Students’ Union has alleged that authorities engaged in allocation of scholarship schemes for minority students indulged in corrupt practices and intentionally overlooked basic norms in selection of candidates.

In a press release issued by its vice-president, Md Abdul Haque Shah, the union rued that several high rung officers and even the minister concerned have not taken any step to stop the scheme officers from implementing the scheme guided by their whims and fancies. Turning its gun on the director, it alleged that he never took any measure to rectify the the presence of students from unrecognized schools in the scholarship list even though he had been intimated through a written memo about it.

In this regard, the AMSU has also sought a clarification from the scheme officers on the reasons behind the wrongful inclusion if unrecognized institutions.

The union alleged that many schools were handpicked by the scheme officers and directly inserted in the list. On the other hand, many schools who satisfied the criteria were ignored as they did not offer bribe to the scheme officers.

Further, the union claimed to have conducted a survey of schools whose students were part of the minority student scholarship list and reportedly came across many startling discoveries. Authorities of many schools were not even aware of the fact that their students were in the list. In other cases, they found the involvement of middle-men who have hold back two-third of the scholarship amount for themselves as shares for their service.

Taking serious note of their alleged malpractices, the union has immediately sought a detailed report from the scheme officers on the charges leveled against them. Those scheme officers who have canvassed for students for inclusion in the list and obtained personal cuts from their scholarship have been told to come personally at the union’s office for clarification. Failure of which will force the union to broadcast their names and other personal details to the public, it warned.

AMSU has further asked the authorities concerned to publish through the media all the previous lists mentioning the names of the schools that have been selected for the scholarship and respective amount released to them as well as reasons for omission of schools in the fresh list of schools deemed eligible for the scholarship.