Students to get NY greeting cards with CM's personal touch

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be sending personalised New Year greeting cards to all students of state-aided schools. The School Education department will take necessary measures to ensure that the cards reach all the students in state-aided primary, secondary and higher secondary schools.

As per figures with the state Education department, nearly 15 million students study in different state-aided schools across the state. The cards will be distributed among the students from this week in their respective schools," a senior official of the state School Education department said.

It may be mentioned that the Chief Minister felicitates toppers of board examinations every year, including those from ICSE and CBSE. She often speaks personally with the toppers, congratulating them for their success and at the same time, assuring them of all help from the state government for their higher studies.

The cards will first reach the District Magistrate's office, from where they will be sent to different schools. The headmasters of the respective schools will take the responsibility of writing the names of the students in the cards and hand them over. Banerjee herself has prepared the message printed on the New Year cards.

It may be mentioned that the Chief Minister holds a programme with the toppers every year and listens to their problems, if any and accordingly instructs the administration to take steps so that they face no difficulty in continuing with their higher studies.

"However, this is the first time that the Chief Minister will be sending greeting cards to students," a senior official said.

The state project director of Paschim Banga Samagra Shiksha Mission (PBSSM) has already sent a notice to all District Magistrates and district project directors regarding the cards.