Mamata pans Centre for stopping students' grant

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday criticised the BJP-led central government’s move to discontinue scholarships for students of backward castes and minority communities, and said her government would be providing them aid.

Launching the ‘Medhashree’ scholarship scheme, under which students belonging to the backward and minority communities will be entitled to Rs 800 as grant, she said that her government would do its bit to protect their interests.

“The central government has stopped scholarships for students of OBC and other minorities. But don’t be worried. We will be providing the same grant to them,” Banerjee said during an administrative review meeting.

The TMC supremo also said that attempts were being made to create division among the people of West Bengal, and urged people not to pay heed to them “Don’t pay heed to whatever they (BJP) are saying to create divisions among people. We want to look forward to a unified society,” Banerjee said.