Statesman News Service
MALDA, Aug 16: Two young boys ~ Sanatan Mondal and Palash Mondal ~ who suffer from hearing ailment had performed spectacularly well at a sports meet in Kolkata in 2005. They, however, have not yet received their promised scholarship. The duo, students of Class IV and VII respectively, took part in a state level meet at Salt Lake organised by an NGO in 2005 and secured good records. They were informed of their achievement at the meet where it was also announced that they would be awarded a scholarship of Rs 10,000 each. This announcement, for the boys, was a dream come true. Both Sanatan and Palash had always wanted to be good athletes as well pursue further studies if they received financial help. But now it all seems like a distant dream. “We had sent a prescribed format after filling all requirements through proper channel according to the direction of the organiser but the scholarship is yet to reach the boys”, said principal of Sahela Memorial School, Mr Rajendranath Das. The boys are students at his school. The Sahela Memorial School, aided by the Centre, was set up in 1992 and it was named after mother of former Malda MP and union and state minister A B A Ghani Khan Choudhury. At present there are 370 students including 155 girls in this school. There are 74 girls who are suffering from hearing impairment and 71 girls are mentally challenged. The school is waiting for state government sponsorship. Most of the disabled students are from Sujapur and Kaliachak villages. The school provides them travelling cost from the central government’s funds. “Recently the Centre reduced its funds and salary for the trained teachers of this school. We have been instructed to pay salary to 25 teaching and 12 non-teaching staff, out of sanctioned central assistance,” Mr Das, added. “Owing to inadequate space in our school the state government officials are not interested to sponsor us. But the school needs the state government’s sponsorship to meet the funds crunch,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment