IMPHAL, May 23(NNN): The bandh called by scheduled caste (SC) students to protest the non-payment of post-matric scholarship 2010 – 2011 comes into effect from midnight today.
The 48 hour bandh on May 24 and 25 was earlier announced in a press meet by the secretary of the representatives of Lois and members of the post matric scholarship affected guardian committee, Mayanglangbam Manglem Singh.
It was also stated that if the government of Manipur fail to take up appropriate steps to distribute the scholarship of the scheduled caste students even after the bandh, several other forms of agitations will be taken up by the students.
It may be mentioned that several memorandum have been submitted earlier to the concerned ministers and departments by the scheduled caste students regarding the distribution of the post matric scholarship on December 13, 2011 and April 3, 2012, but there had been no response from the government of Manipur on the matter, which has led the students to speculate that the fund meant for distribution of post matric scholarship to the scheduled caste students might have been misused by the state government.
Finally an ultimatum had been submitted on May 13, 2012 stating that a 48 – hour general strike will commence from May 24 – 25 if the government of Manipur fails to distribute the post matric scholarship of the scheduled caste (SC) students by May 22.