At a time when many people call Lakshmir Bhandar the most successful project of the state government, it is the scheme which has helped a student coming from an economically challenged family to crack the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) this year.
Mahfuj Alam alias Rahul scored 673 marks out of 720 and got 12,000 ranking. He hails from Kayatha village in Nalhati block of Birbhum.
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A student of Kayatha High School, Alam could not sit for Madhyamik examination and on the basis of the marks obtained in examinations throughout the year held by the school, got 92 per cent.
In 2020, due to Covid, the school exams were not held for the year.
His father Majubur Sheikh runs a tea stall, which he inherited from his father. He had studied up to Class VI while his mother Mariyam Bibi passed the Madhyamik examination. The family owns a cow and from Class XI Alam started selling milk to the villagers and the money helped him to buy a smartphone.
Mariyam Bibi said, “The money I got from Lakshmir Bhandar helped Rahul to recharge the internet. It was a big relief to us and this had helped him to carry on with his coaching classes.
Alam said he had purchased some NCERT books. During the day, he helped his father and at night watched online programmes that offered free coaching to crack NEET.
“I wanted to join the Indian Navy and later thought of sitting the entrance of IITs but I gave up the idea and it was not possible for me to meet the expenses at IITs,” he said.
Alam said once he got the allotment, he would apply for a student credit card that gives soft loans to students. “Once, I get the loan there will be no difficulty in carrying on with the NEET –UG.”
A senior official of the state government said Lakshmir Bhandar has helped many families to become economically self-reliant.
