Patna, May 7 (IANS): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was shocked and embarrassed on Friday as he came to know benefits of a state government's scheme for students were not reaching the beneficiaries.

This happened at an event to lay the foundation stone of a building of the Animal Science University here.

Elaborating his scholarship schemes for students in the university, Nitish Kumar said that his government is giving Rs 6,000 to every college-going students as a scholarship grant to purchase books and stationery. The students immediately reacted, saying they were not receiving any such benefits.

Nitish Kumar immediately asked senior officials of the Education Department about it, and they said that the scholarship was stopped due to corona.

He was taken aback at this.

"During the pandemic, we have worked hard to provide smooth facilities to affected people. We had also arranged facilities to bring back a large number of people trapped in other states during the pandemic. We have not hesitated to serve people during a pandemic... you are not facilitating government schemes for students. You should extend scholarship facilities to students," Nitish Kumar said.

"We have worked hard to inspire students for education in the last 16 years. Many schools and colleges were built and several government schemes were launched to attract students in the education centers. I am not aware that the department is not giving scholarships to students," he said.