Morada: Even as BJP observed a 12-hour bandh at Morada in Mayurbhanj district Friday over the alleged messy healthcare system, an unusual incident unfolded when students of SSB Regional Institute of Science and Technology sat on NH-61 and wrote exams.
Reports said patients and people have been suffering due to poor health services in Morada and other areas because of shortage of specialists at various hospitals. The BJP observed the bandh demanding to fill up the doctor vacancies.
BJP activists got to know that the institute was open during the bandh. They rushed there and held talks with the institute’s authorities. The saffron cadre urged them to cooperate with the agitators in the larger interests of the public.
However, the institute’s authorities brought out all students from the campus and made them sit along the NH-61 where they wrote their papers under the sun.
When a police patrol team got the news, Morada IIC and the additional tehsildar rushed to the spot and held talks with the students and college authorities.
The two officials urged the students to go inside the college, but the latter did not oblige. Tension prevailed as near confrontation between the two sides loomed.
Many quarters were dismayed at the conduct of the college authorities who allowed such a thing to happen even though it was illegal.
Sangramjit Rout, additional tehsildar who is in-charge magistrate, said the college authorities were not supposed to take such a step. Any action on the incident will be taken only after getting an investigation report, he added.
PNN