Mumbai: A concern over delays in scholarship payments to students pursuing technical education in Maharashtra has reached the Legislative Council, with member Kishor Darade flagging the issue during the ongoing Budget session.Through an attention motion, Darade pointed to a growing backlog in scholarship reimbursements meant for students enrolled in engineering, polytechnic, pharmacy, architecture and other higher technical courses. According to the motion, large amounts have remained pending for years, placing both students and colleges under financial strain.The situation appears particularly serious for NT and OBC students, whose scholarship payments have reportedly remained pending for nearly five years in some cases. Responding to the issue, state’s social justice minister told the Council that Maharashtra continues to implement post-matric scholarship schemes for Scheduled Caste students through the MahaDBT portal. The figures indicate a gradual increase in both beneficiaries and the funds released through the MahaDBT platform. In 2023-24, about 4.91 lakh students received scholarships amounting to Rs 863.7 crore, while 4.30 lakh students benefited from Rs 804.8 crore the previous year.
