Bihar Model: 60 Dalit Students threaten to commit Suicide

In a bizarre development, the Bihar Government led by CM Nitish Kumar has failed to pay the stipend to 60 Dalit students studying at Rajdhani Engineering College in Bhubaneswar, forcing them to leave the college and hostel. The students have threatened to commit suicide.

They had taken admission in Rajdhani Engineering College in 2014 under the Dalit stipend scheme of the Bihar Government. 18 students hail from Motihari, while 42 others are from Bettiah district.

Initially, the REC administration provided them free education, boarding and lodging for more than a year with the hope that Bihar Government would cover all expenses soon. they had to stop free services, thanks to the apathetic attitude of the Bihar Government. The stipend promised by Bihar government for these students is approximately Rs 1,10,000 per student annually.

Bihar SC-ST Minister Santosh Nirala seeks to put the blame on the students, saying the delay was attributed to the discrepancies in bank account numbers provided by them.