Despite assurances in the past, college students had to once again come to the weekly Janta Darbar at Chief Minister’s Secretariat, to complain to Revenue and land Reforms Minister Amar Kumar Bauri about delays in scholarships they were promised by the State Government.
“Some of us received scholarships in our first year, whereas some in second year. But there is no word about the financial aid for the year 2014-15. Students from other states and even from other districts of Jharkhand have received their scholarships, except those from Ranchi,” stated Payal Kachchap, a third year nursing student at Vishakhapatnam-based Sagar Durga School of Nursing. According to Payal, and five of her classmates who accompanied her to the public court, around 30 students from Ranchi have enrolled in her college, and none of them have got scholarships for the past academic year, which amounts to Rs49,000.
The Darbar saw six more cases of delayed scholarships. Consulting with functionaries at the Welfare Department, Bauri instructed them to release the post-matriculation scholarships shortly. He assured the plaintiffs that they will get their scholarships within a week.
Zakir Hussain, a visually challenged elder from Kanke block asked the land Reforms Minister for some help in getting his application for Indira Awas Yojana approved. On this, Bauri talked to the Kanke Block development Officer, instructing him to complete the required process within 24 hours.
One Manoj Kumar from Patia in Gumla accused Dr P Singh from Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences of medical negligence which led to the death of his wife, Manisha Devi.
“I admitted Manisha in RIMS for child delivery. The delivery went normally, and mother and child both were healthy. She was admitted in the Dr P Singh’s ward after complaints of weakness where she was given wrong medication. This resulted in drug reaction which killed her. In the absence of his mother, the child didn’t survive long either,” Kumar stated. The death certificate issued by Singh enumerated causes of death as anaphylactic shock due to acute drug reaction and cardio respiratory arrest. “I was asked to leave with my wife’s dead body immediately. I couldn’t protest as I was alone,” Kumar added.
Calling this a severe case of medical negligence, Bauri promised Kumar that the reasons behind the death of his wife will be investigated by an expert medical team from Christian Medical College, Vellore. “The guilty doctor should be aptly punished. My three children are without their mother and I do not have a job either, so they are not getting the upbringing they need. I request the Govt to provide me with a job and compensation so that I can look after them,” said Kumar.