Merit bit the dust and undergraduate aspirants continued to suffer in the hands of alleged “admission syndicates” — owned and run by ruling Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad leaders — literally selling vacant college seats to students who can pay leaving the meritorious in the lurch.
Things continued to deteriorate regardless of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s surprise visit to her alma mater Asutosh College in a bid to disarm TMC leaders from extorting cash from aspiring candidates. On Wednesday Banerjee sent Rajiv Kumar the Commissioner of Police to various colleges to inspect things for himself but in vain sources said.
This, even as Pradesh Congress president Adhir Chowdhury attacked the Chief Minister for running with the hare and hunting with the hound. “How can she stop TMCP students from running the admission syndicate when the Chief Minister herself directs her party men in a public meeting to collect Rs 1 and remit .75 paisa to herIJ” he wondered.
Banerjee had last week rebuked leaders of the Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress leaders for raising money but not depositing it with the party. “I do not object to your raising funds but don’t spend the entire money yourself. If you raise Rs 1 do send .75 paisa for the party and spend the rest yourself,” she told the INTTUC gathering.
Cut to the colleges. The students who had passed their Class XII exams this year continued to flock the colleges in thousands even as the seats were remained blocked by the TMCP unions — demanding often as high as Rs 80,000 for math honours.
According to sources at Asutosh College, which hardly is a stone’s throw from the Chief Minister’s house the seats were sold for as high as Rs 60,000, sources alleged. “In Surendranath College, Sirish Chandra College, Jaipuria College, South City College, Jogesh Chandra College, Vidya Sagar College they were charging anywhere between Rs 60,000 for Geography to Rs 20,000 for English honours,” parents who had been queuing up in front of the colleges complained.
At Jogesh Chandra College they were charging Rs 10,000 for political science honours. “My daughter has fetched more than 80 percent and is asking for Maths honours but she has been asked to bring Rs 50,000. How can I bring that money as my husband is a security guardIJ” said her mother.
An auto rickshaw driver complained that her daughter was not getting admission in Jogesh Chandra College because she could not pay Rs 6,000 for political science honours.
“I have told the people to register complaints whenever they face such situation,” said the Police Commissioner while the Chief Minister vainly sermonised her party leaders saying “money should not be a criterion for admission to colleges. If anybody asks for money, the Government will take steps.”
The Chief Minister tended to take steps a little too late on Wednesday directing the removal of TMCP State president Joya Dutta while State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said “this Government has no control over its own party men. Neither their student leaders, nor their police administration, no one is listening to the Government. They have failed from all sides and should go immediately.”
CPI(M)’s Sujan Chakrabarty said “never in the left regime we heard a similar incident where college seats were sold for cash while the authorities looked the other way. We have asked the Education Minister to introduce an online admission system but he has refused to do so. This is simply asking the landlord to remain on alert while telling the thief to steal.” He wondered “how can we stop these extortionists because these people fetch them votes, loot polling booth during elections.”
Meanwhile, a number of TMCP leaders were arrested for demanding money from admission seekers, sources said.