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June 12, 2011

CM felicitates HS toppers, promises help

Kolkata, June 12: It was a dream come true for 30 top performers in this year’s Higher Secondary examination. After burning the midnight oil for months, they got the opportunity to celebrate their achievement with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday. For some, she turned out to be a guardian figure while for others, an inspirer.

“Don’t feel ashamed because your father earns a meager salary. Instead, take pride that you outshone others,” the Chief Minister advised Kunal Paul of Mahesh Ramkrishna Ashram, who wants to study engineering and sought aid from the CM for higher education.

“Tell us about your financial crisis and we shall help. No one should suffer because of monetary problems,” she said and immediately turned towards school education secretary Bikram Sen and instructed him to take down names of those seeking help.

Bithika Karmakar, a student of Adra South-Eastern Railway Girls’ Higher Secondary School, gifted the CM a sketch she had drawn. Later, all students lined up for an autograph from the chief minister.

Moubani Roy from Tribeni Thermal Power Dr BC Roy School gifted the CM a book, Tin Bhuboner Golpo, inside an ornament box. “I like her idea to gift wrap the book inside a jewellery box,” Ms. Banerjee exclaimed. She also appreciated Sandipan Mondal of Bankura Zilla School for cracking the Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examinations (IIT-JEE).

With a majority of students preferring to study medicine, engineering or a course in science, Ms. Banerjee assured there won’t be any crisis for science teachers in senior classes in future. She was in a light mood and cracked jokes with the students. “Do not control your diet, your brain needs adequate food to keep working,” she instructed Abhigyan Chattopadhyay of Sodepur High School.

It was also a rare occasion for Sayan Roychaudhury, a student of South Point High School. He brought a CD in which he had recorded his music. The CM insisted on playing the CD in the Town Hall itself.

When Rounak Agarwal of St Lawrence High School gifted Didi a canvas of Radha Krishna, the CM in turn handed it over to Mayor Sovon Chatterjee, saying, “We have not paid any rent to hire the Town Hall, I offer this engraved statue on canvas in return.”

Public Health Engineering Minister Subrata Mukherjee, School Education Minister Rabindranath Bhattacharyya and several MMiCs were present at the felicitation ceremony.