Bhubneshwar: 60 Dalit students from Bihar studying at Rajdhani Engineering College in Bhubneshwar have threatened to commit suicide, as per a media report.
18 students are said to be from Motihari and 42 students from Bettiah district and were second year students.
As per a report by India Today group, threat by students came after they were forced to leave the college and hostel.
College administration reportedly took the action came after Bihar government failed to pay their stipend.
Bihar government has to give approximately Rs 1,10,000 per student annually as stipends.
As per the report, several reminders were sent to the Bihar government from the college.
The students had reportedly taken admission in Rajdhani Engineering College in 2014.
They were admitted under the Dalit stipend scheme of the Bihar government.
Some of the students have already returned to Bihar.
Meanwhile, Bihar government have supposedly admitted that there has been a delay in depositing the stipend money.
However, they are promising to do the needful and Bihar Deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav has advised students not to take dire steps.
The website quoted Tejaswi Yadav as saying, "I will talk to officials. I have come to know about the matter from media. The students should not commit suicide. Suicide is not of any benefit. We will try to solve the issue."
On the other hand, SC-ST Minister Santosh Nirala pinned the blame for delay in discrepancies in bank account numbers provided by students, the report said.
"I have come to know about the matter yesterday. There was some discrepancies relating to bank account number provided by students because of which amount could not be credited into their accounts. Soon we will deposit amount and nobody would be denied stipend. Some delay is also because of verification of documents that takes time. We are sensitive towards SC-ST students," he was quoted by the website as saying.
