Mizoram students' body calls off agitation as ECI allows scholarship disbursement

Aizawl, Nov 16 (PTI) Mizoram's student body Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) called off its agitation late on Thursday after the state government assured disbursement of scholarships following approval by the Election Commission.

Earlier in the day, officials said that the scholarship money was not disbursed due to the model code of conduct being in place for the state assembly polls held on November 7 and that they were waiting for the Election Commission's nod.

The counting of votes will take place on December 3.

MZP general secretary Chinkhanmanga Thomte said that the agitation was called off at 8:30 pm on Thursday as the Election Commission has approved the petition to disburse the scholarship money.

Hundreds of students, under the aegis of MZP, were protesting from Tuesday over the alleged negligence of the state scholarship board to disburse money. They demanded that the second installment of scholarship money be immediately released to the beneficiaries.

The protesters staged a sit-in outside the Mizoram Scholarship Board office in Aizawl and prevented the officials from entering the premises on Thursday.

After a meeting with Chief Minister Zoramthanga, who asked the scholarship board and higher and technical education department to release the scholarship money on Thursday, the students decided to intensify their agitation by going on an indefinite hunger strike.

According to the student organisation president H. Lalthianghlima, a total of 19,495 students, including 3,010 studying outside the state, are entitled to receive scholarships.

He said that the state government received over Rs 17.87 crore of funds for the disbursement of scholarships for the second installment in September. PTI COR BDC