Forest guards deployed at exam centre to tackle monkey menance

banarhat: In a bizzare incident, Forest department personnel had to be deployed at a Madhyamik examination centre in Banarhat to tackle monkey menance. The personnel kept vigil outside the examination centre throughout the day to prevent monkeys from ‘vandalising the examination venue.’

Earlier in the day, a troop of monkeys ran riot at the secondary examination centre at Banarhat on the first day of Madhyamik Board examinations. The Forest department staff were called in to drive away the monkeys and to ensure that the examination was conducted smoothly.

Just before the commencement of the examination, the monkeys arrived at the Banarhat High School. The monkeys tore the roll slips installed in the school classrooms and turned the chairs and tables upside down.

The monkeys vandalised the ceiling of the classes and pulled out the electric wires resulting in disruption of electricity in the examination halls.

The school authorities informed the Forest department in an attempt to conduct the exam smoothly and on time. Officials and staff of Binnaguri Wildlife Squad of the Forest Department rushed to the spot after receiving the news.

By bursting firecrackers and rockets, they drove away the monkeys from the school campus. After that, the examinees were able to sit for the examination. Forest department personnel kept vigil outside the exam centre.

Sukalyan Bhattacharyya, Headmaster of Banarhat High School cum Venue Supervisor of MP Exam centre, said: “About an hour before the examination, a troop of monkeys had entered the school’s examination centre, destroying four exam halls. However, with the intervention of the Forest guards they were driven away and examinations were conducted in a smooth manner. We have sought the intervention of the Block administration to avoid such incidents from being repeated in future.”