Didi’s student credit card scheme fuels big dreams in Malda, Midnapore

Malda/Midnapore: If Atikur Rahman from nondescript Chanchal village in Malda is studying MBBS at North Bengal Medical College, he has a ‘big sister’ to thank for. The son of a small-time trader, Atikur was barely able to bask in the happiness of winning a medical seat last year because he knew his family wouldn’t be able to afford the expenses. The Mamata Banerjee government’s flagship student credit card scheme in June 2021 put his worries to rest.
“We may have been able to manage the MBBS tuition fee, but the money needed for hostel, books, etc. was beyond what my father could afford. I thought about a bank loan, but again the application process was tedious and the rate of interest high. The credit card scheme Didi (Banerjee) has introduced for students is a godsend for me,” Atikur said.
The doctor-to-be is not the only one singing paeans for the scheme that offers students a loan of up to Rs 10 lakh for higher studies at a nominal annual interest of 4% or less (if the repayment period is below 15 years).
Daily labourer Yasin Ali, a resident of Motabhari in the same district, is equally elated. Ali had been at his wit’s end when son Najimul ranked 8,039 in JEE two years ago. The father of five didn’t know how to send his son to college. But today, Najimul is studying BTech at Kalyani and will be able to afford a personal computer, thanks to his own credit card. “It is a boon for underprivileged students like me,” he beamed.
Farhad Nawaj Hossain, an MBA student at UEM, recalled how simple the process of securing his student credit card was. “The bank first contacted my institution and then me. It was quick and hassle-free.”
Malda ADM Shampa Hazra said: “Our CM wanted to help students pursue higher studies. We are facilitating the process while the state government is the guarantor of the loan.” Eleven medical, nursing, engineering and MBA students have been handed over the sanction letter for credit card in Malda by district Central Cooperative Bank chairman Sumala Agarwala.
In West Midnapore on Tuesday, DM Rashmi Kamal and ADM Sudip Sarkar handed over credit card sanction letters to six students, with a cumulative loan limit of Rs 29 lakh. So far, there have been 349 applications in the district.
Arani Pal of Balichak was visibly happy with his loan of Rs 2.5 lakh, which he hopes will help him complete his BSc in radio imaging at a private university.
Debra resident Satarupa Nag, who studies nursing in Kolkata, needs around Rs 8 lakh to finish her course. Her father, who runs a photocopying counter, can’t afford to fund her studies, but now the student credit card will. Another nursing student, Ritu Khan of Salboni, thanked the state administration profusely for granting her a loan of Rs 3.2 lakh.
Soumik Patra, an MBBS student and the son of a farmer, was overwhelmed with joy when he received a sanction of Rs 4 lakh credit. Would-be doctor Puja Jana got a sanction of Rs 10 lakh while BCom student Sanket Karan got a loan of Rs 1.5 lakh.