Bengal JEE candidates face tough time to reach exam centres due to lack of transport facility

NEW DELHI: Around 57 per cent of JEE (Mains) candidates of West Bengal reached their exam centres in Kolkata on Thursday, the third day of the test, braving rain and inadequate transport facilities, an official said. Some of them covered long distances in two-wheelers to reach the centres in COVID-19 time, while many others had to shell out high fares to do the same.

JEE tests were held in 15 centres across West Bengal. Rupak Banerjee came to a centre in Sector 5 area of Salt Lake on his father's two-wheeler from Ghatal in West Midnapore. "We had a trying time in covering the distance of around 135 kilometre. It was raining in several places. Many localities are waterlogged. But I cannot afford to lose a year," Banerjee said. Shankar Pramanik, a student from Debra in West Midnapore, said he had to spend nearly Rs 500 to reach the same centre by travelling in private buses. He said that it would have cost him one-third of the amount in other times.

An estimated 57 per cent of candidates were present during the third day's test in the two centres of Kolkata, said an official of the National Testing Agency which conducted the examination. The combined percentage figure for all the 15 centres is not available. All the COVID-19 protocols, including thermal gun, sanitizer and accommodating not more than 12 candidates in a room were followed. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday expressed her displeasure with the BJP-led central government for its stand on holding JEE/NEET despite several appeals.

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