Bora-Sarma exchange on sops to students

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, June 22: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) vice president Ripun Bora said that Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s announcement for free of cost admission into colleges for students whose annual income is less than Rs 1 lakh is a cheap political gimmick.

Talking to newsmen in the city today, Bora said that the Congress Government had implemented a scheme for  providing laptops to students securing first division and tablets to students securing at least 50 per cent marks in HSLC examitions. “However, now State Education Minister says that only students securing 75 per cent marks will get laptops. If that happens, a number of students will be deprived,” he added. Meanwhile, reacting to Bora’s statement, Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said later: “This is not the case. Actually the government is discussing if the students should be given laptops or cash against laptops. The matter will be filized at the Cabinet meeting slated to be held on June 27.”