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U.P. government to pay college fees for the poor

Special Correspondent

SP regime failed to pay for OBCs under zero fees system: Mayawati

Mayawati

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government will bear admission fees for backward class and general category students joining intermediate and graduate courses. The benefit will be available only for the poor, whose annual family income does not exceed Rs. 1 lakh.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Chief Minister Mayawati said a provision of Rs. 200 crore had been made in the budget for the purpose.

The government move, approved by the Cabinet on Friday, comes in the wake of the decision of universities to quash the system of “zero fees” for OBC students (by which the expenses are borne by the State government). Simultaneously, their results were withheld for non-payment of fees.

The Chief Minister said the universities were directed to declare the results soon, in the light of the government decision. Ms. Mayawati accused the Samajwadi Party regime of having taken the OBC students for a ride. She said that while introducing the “zero fees” system, it failed to make arrangements for the government to bear the expenses. In another decision, dearness allowance for government employees and those in aided institutions and local self-government bodies was hiked by six per cent (from 41 to 47). The order would be effective retrospectively from January 1, 2008.

For pensioners also, DA was raised from 41 to 47 per cent.

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