Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 11: To discuss their pressing concerns, including the distribution of scholarships among Pahari ethnic students, a delegation from the Pahari Tribe ST Forum called on Sapna Kotwal, secretary of the Jammu & Kashmir Pahari Advisory Board (PAB), here today.
The delegation, led by state coordinator Vikrant Sharma, included senior executive members Bharat Bhushan Vaid, Sanjeev Sharma, Dr Nitan Sharma, former joint director of PCB J&K Jeevanand Sharma, and Gagandeep Singh.
The meeting involved a comprehensive discussion on the non-disbursement of pre-matric and post-matric scholarships for Pahari students.
Notably, two years ago, the government transferred the responsibility of scholarship disbursement from the Pahari Advisory Board to the Social Welfare Department, leading to ongoing chaos and confusion.
The Forum emphasized that scholarships serve as a crucial motivation for numerous underprivileged Pahari students pursuing basic education.
The delay in distributing this essential financial aid has become a major concern for thousands of impoverished Pahari families.
The members of delegation also asserted that any discriminatory treatment in scholarship allocation for Pahari students would not be tolerated.
They warned that if the issue is not resolved promptly, the Forum would launch protests against this grave injustice.
Meanwhile, the Forum commended secretary PAB Sapna Kotwal for her dedicated efforts in streamlining Pahari hostels and securing approval for two new girls’ hostels in Jammu and Srinagar.
They also invited Kotwal to visit Rajouri, Poonch and other areas inhabited by Pahari Ethnic group to engage with the community and pay homage to the martyrs of recent cross-border shelling incidents.
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