Madhyamik examinations: Mamata Banerjee funds heater for hill school

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced that the state government has allocated a sum of Rs 1 crore to hill schools to purchase heaters to ward off cold during the upcoming secondary examinations. Protests had erupted in the hills and plains of Darjeeling after the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) decided to change the timing of Madhyamik examination starting on February 2 from noon to 9.45 am. Speaking at a government function in Siliguri on Monday, Mamata said: “To avoid cold in the hilly examination centres, the state government is allocating Rs 1 crore to purchase heaters. Now every school in the hills will have heaters.” WBBSE sources said the decision to change the timing of Madhyamik exam from afternoon to morning has triggered protests in the hills and plains of Darjeeling. “Teachers, parents and workers had earlier mentioned that the decision to change the exam timings from 12 noon to 9.45 am would cause several inconveniences, ranging from cold weather to lack of transportation,” the source said. The change in timing of the examination, which was scheduled to begin from February 2, was informed on January 18. In fact, many people in the mountains had demanded that the examination should not be held in February but later because at this time there is cold weather in the area. Darjeeling city has already experienced snowfall in February. “The change in timings has come as a double blow for many Pahadi students,” sources said. Dumbar Prasad Sivakoti, vice-president of All Bengal Teachers Association (ABTA, Darjeeling district), said the authorities should also arrange for alternative heating facility. “There are hill schools that are more than 100 years old where the electrical wires are not strong enough to deal with the heaters,” Sivakoti said. Therefore, the authorities should also ensure alternative traditional heating facilities (such as coal stoves).” Some teachers also told that power supply is always disrupted in case of snowfall. Sivakoti said, “It will be cloudy in Darjeeling from today (Monday) and there is a possibility of snowfall. During snowfall, there is power failure in many hilly areas. Electric heaters will not work in that case.” Kundan Mukhiya, spokesperson of Concerned Youth of Hills (CYH), an apolitical organization in the region, said schools should have adequate heaters, but he also expressed hope that the Madhyamik exam for hill students would be conducted a little later next year. “We are grateful to the Chief Minister for his gesture (of funds for heaters). But we request them not to conduct the exam at this time next year as the hills are very cold at this time. Process of collecting and taking question papers They have been ordered to go to the examination centers from 6 am onwards and the present hilly weather is not suitable for such early work,” he said. GTA Chief Public Relations Officer S.P. Sharma said there are around 130 schools in the GTA area. “Initially we listed schools that would need heaters but now all schools will get heaters. There are around 4,000 secondary examinees from the hills this year,” he said.