Motihari/Bhubaneswar, Jan. 31: More than 12 Dalit students from East Champaran district have threatened to commit suicide, alleging failure on part of the state government to provide them scholarships.

The students, who are studying in Raajdhani Engineering College, Bhubaneswar, were allegedly asked to leave the college by its administration over non-payment of fees, which are supposed to be paid by the SC/ST welfare department of the Bihar government.

The students, enrolled as part of the 2014-15 batch, have sent a petition to the East Champaran district administration to take necessary steps to mobilise the scholarship amount, failing which they would commit suicide. The petition stated that the students were admitted under the Dalit Scholarship Scheme of the state government but were asked to leave the hostel in the first week of January.

Raajdhani Engineering College director G.S. Mishra denied the allegations, saying the institute had not debarred anyone from attending classes. "We have also written to the Bihar chief minister and chief secretary to release the funds. We have been providing them with studies and boarding facilities since July 2014 without receiving any funds from the Bihar government. Some of them had been to Bihar recently demanding release of the funds," said Mishra.

Loknath, one of the 12 Dalit students, told The Telegraph: "The district administration told us that the request for scholarship had been sent to the state headquarters."

Gajendra Kumar, another student who has been asked to leave, said: "Director Mishra asked us to leave and not return until we have figured our scholarship amount." The infuriated students said they were not just humiliated but felt they were a burden for their families. Asked, East Champaran district magistrate Anupam Kumar said he would look into the issue.

Bihar SC/ST welfare department principal secretary S.M. Raju said the state government provides tuition fees and monthly expenses of the Dalit students pursuing technical courses, which is transferred to the college concerned by the department directly.

"Apart from an annual fee of Rs 60,000, we have to pay Rs 10,000 per month towards food and lodging charges," said Umesh Kumar, another student of the group.

Raju said: "We send the scholarship amount on a regular basis. So far as the case of these students is concerned, we would look into the matter and if any highhandedness on part of any individual or authority is found, adequate steps would be taken."

East Champaran district board chairperson Manju Devi, who had gone to meet the SC/ST welfare department principal secretary along with parents of some of these students on January 8, said the officer had promised to take action. "Maybe some people in the department are playing foul in this matter," she said.