NIT to be set up in Sumari: Bahuguna

Dehra Dun: A National Institute of Technology (NIT) would soon be set up in Sumari area of Pauri district, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has said. 
 
Bahuguna told a delegation of Sumari residents, led by MLA Ganesh Godiyal, that appropriate land is being identified for the purpose, an official release said here.
 
The residents have been on a dharna for the last 90 days over their demand of setting up an NIT in Sumari.
 
Principal Secretary, technical education, Rakesh Sharma also handed over to Godiyal a letter in this regard.
 
Bahuguna asked the MLA to ask the agitating residents to end their stir as there should be no doubts about setting up of an NIT at Sumari.
 
He said the Centre has already provided its approval in principle and Rs 100 crore have already been sanctioned for the purpose.
 
The Chief Minister said Commissioner of Garhwal and the Pauri District Magistrate have been asked to identify land for setting up the institute. He expressed hope that all formalities in this regard would be completed within a period of three months. 

Govt trying to clear backlog of Rs 66 cr for scholarship

Dehra Dun: Uttarakhand government is pursuing with the Centre to clear the backlog of Rs 66 crore to be paid to students from backward classes as scholarship, the state Assembly was informed.
    
Replying to a question on behalf of the Social Welfare Minister, Health Minister Surendra Singh Negi said post-tenth standard scholarship scheme for backward class students is fully funded by the Centre and the state government is
pursuing the matter.
    
He said the backlog accumulated as the state governments disbursed scholarship among the students as per their own criteria in the previous years which was much more than the notional allocation by the Centre.
    
The minister said the scholarship ranging from Rs 160 to Rs 750 per month is disbursed among students belonging to backward classes for pursuing education above 10th standard.

Firm dupes job aspirants

Dehra Dun: A placement agency allegedly duped job aspirants collecting crores of rupees from them on the pretext of providing them employment, police said. 
       
The agency, promised jobs in foreign countries and allegedly collected Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh per candidate, they said.
   
Over 125 candidates deposited the money, police said.
   
But the agency's office was found locked, job aspirants said in their complaint to police.
   
A case had been registered and investigations were on, police said.