Tarun Gogoi promise fails, but hope floats for BPL student

Tarun Gogoi on June 17 announced that students belonging to BPL families who secured second and third divisions would get full government support in pursing college education.

Three weeks ago when Parbati Kanu, a student of Tezpur Collegiate High School cleared her Class X final examination conducted by the Assam Board of Secondary Education (SEBA), she was both elated as well as sad. Elated, because she could clear – though in the second division – the crucial examination in the first attempt despite extreme poverty. And sad, because the family does not have enough money to pay for her college admission.

But a news last week carried prominently by the local media rekindled her hopes of joining college. Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on June 17 announced that students belonging to BPL families who secured second and third divisions would get full government support in pursing college education.

“BPL students securing second and third divisions who enroll in Government institutions would be entitled to get admission fees, monthly fees and textbooks,” a government press release quoting chief minister Gogoi, issued on June 17 said.

Things however did not turn out to be exactly true when Parbati Kanu filled up the admission application form. “But when I went to the college where my name had prominently figured in the selection list, I was told that the college authorities had not received any such order from the government,” Parbati said. The girl’s father, who was a private driver, has been bed-ridden for the past two years following a major accident, while her mother struggles to make both ends meet by working as a domestic help.

“Crestfallen, the girl broke down, while the authorities asked her to move out of the queue for the next candidate to take the admission. Parbati rushed to the local AASU office nearby for help, but the students present there expressed helplessness except advising her to approach the media. One AASU leader in fact called up some local media contacts and informed the matter, following which we rushed to the college,” said Pankaj Nath, Tezpur-based correspondent of Dainik Asam.

While some local TV news channels went live over, some others began raising funds. “I gave Rs 100, while someone else gave Rs 200. Seeing this, guardians of some students who had come for admission also contributed, and within 15 minutes Parbati had Rs 4230 cash in her hand. With the admission costing only Rs 3650, Parbati is now left with some cash in hand to buy books now,” said Nath.

When contacted, Tezpur College principal Charu Saharia Nath said the college was yet to receive a copy of the order from the education department for exemption or reimbursement of admission fees for BPL students as announced by the chief minister. “We have however decided to reimburse the admission fees not only to Parbati but to all other eligible students once we receive the government notification. The students too will have to submit relevant documents pertaining to their BPL status,” principal Nath told The Indian Express.

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