L-G blocking education loan scheme, says Manish Sisodia

New Delhi: In a fresh run-in with lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia accused him and the Central government of “blocking” the Delhi government’s higher education loan scheme and claimed it would affect the future of lakhs of students.

Mr Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, said that the L-G has asked the city government to consult the Centre before the scheme, introduced in September 2015, is approved.

Accusing the Centre and the L-G of “blocking” the scheme, Mr Sisodia said that keeping “political rivalry” aside, the L-G should approve the file pertaining to the scheme.

“Why should the Delhi government consult the Centre? We are providing loans to students from the Delhi taxpayers’ money,” Mr Sisodia told reporters here.

“The scheme was launched last year and a lot of students took loans under it. Then L-G Najeeb Jung had raised some queries after which we revamped the scheme. Now the L-G has stopped the scheme,” he said. 

Under the scheme, students are provided loans up to Rs 10 lakh by banks with the government as a guarantor. It had to be stopped after the Shunglu Committee, constituted by former L-G Jung found that the city government did not take prior approval of the L-G before implementing the scheme.