STATE TIMES NEWS
KATRA: As part of its various continuing programmes to promote the interests of the erstwhile Baridar families, Chairman, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has authorised CEO of Shrine Board to pay Rs. 66.30 lakh scholarships to 1,343 students belonging to the erstwhile Baridar families for the ongoing academic session. Furnishing the quarterly report to Chairman Shrine Board, Ajeet Kumar Sahu, Chief Executive Officer of the Shrine Board, informed Governor N. N. Vohra that during 2002-03 to 2016-17, under the scheme to grant scholarships for students belonging to the erstwhile Baridar families, more than Rs. 3.56 crore has been paid as scholarships to 8,539 meritorious students of the entitled families. As directed by Chairman Vohra, under the Scholarship Scheme, high priority is being given for promoting the education of girls by providing them scholarships at a higher scale. Depending upon their gender, the students studying in class I to the post-graduation level are provided scholarships ranging from Rs. 1,800 to Rs. 14,400 per annum. Based on their class-wise internal merit, scholarships are given to the top 10 meritorious students studying in I-XII class in government schools. As a special concession the Shrine Board pays scholarships to Undergraduate and Post-Graduate Degree course students to ex-Baridar family students who may be studying anywhere in the country, provided that the beneficiary student’s family normally resides in the villages surrounding the Trikuta Hills.
