The Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, on Friday wrote to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal that over a hundred candidates from the tea tribes community were allegedly deprived of scholarships to pursue pre-entrance, entrance and higher education.

Saikia has drawn the attention of Sonowal to reported irregularities in the implementation of the Simon Singh Horo special academic scholarship scheme and the Dayal Das Panik self-employment scheme for members of the tea tribes community under the Directorate of Tea Tribes Welfare, government of Assam, and called for immediate remedial steps in this connection.

“Over a hundred candidates from the tea tribes community were deprived of scholarships to pursue pre-entrance, entrance and higher education because ineligible candidates with surnames like Gogoi, Pal, Singh, Deka, Begum, Ansari and Ali have been selected as beneficiaries under the Simon Singh Horo scheme,” Saikia said in the letter.

He said he had personally received complaints from students studying under Dibrugarh University.

Similarly, he said, reports have been received about non-release of funds under the self-employment scheme for the tea tribes.

Saikia requested the chief minister to ensure that all the irregularities are removed forthwith and that the ineligible beneficiaries are replaced with members of the tea tribes community.