West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendhu Adhikari on Wednesday said the state government is prioritising education, healthcare, government employment and industrial development, while accusing the previous administration of neglecting the education sector.
Speaking on the state’s education system, Adhikari said it encompasses a wide range of issues, including curriculum, mid-day meals, student dropouts, teacher recruitment, infrastructure and sports facilities.
“The previous government, particularly in relation to government and government-aided schools, ignored these issues. They practised discrimination and failed to pay attention to them. Their priorities were appeasement, corruption and the collection of ‘tolls’ (extortion money),” he alleged.
Adhikari said the present government has shifted its focus to key development sectors.
“In contrast, the current government prioritises education and health, alongside government employment and industrial growth,” he said.
Highlighting the government’s education initiatives, the Chief Minister said the state has adopted the National Education Policy (NEP), approved 800 schools and launched a process to upgrade every school.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government on Tuesday announced that it would not take any coercive action against students who participated in recent protests over the alleged irregularities in the NEET (UG) examination.
However, the government clarified that the relief would not apply to individuals with criminal antecedents.
In a statement, the Home and Hill Affairs Department said the decision was taken after examining all aspects of the case and in view of the Supreme Court’s July 28 order in Shailendra Mani Tripathi v. Union of India & Ors.
“After due consideration, the government has decided that no coercive measures shall be taken against the students participating in the protests relating to the alleged irregularities in the NEET (UG) Examination,” the statement said. It added that the protection would not extend to “persons having criminal antecedents”, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions.
The state government also said one case had been registered based on a police complaint in connection with the protests over the alleged NEET (UG) irregularities. By July 26, 16 people had been arrested in connection with the case.
(With ANI inputs)
