Poverty has forced an engineering student into crisis as she turned a labourer not only to help her father manage household but also to pursue her higher studies to make her career bright.
With dreams in her eyes to become an engineer, Loji Behera, daughter of Lokanantha Behera of Goradapidha village under Pipili Block in Puri district, is now an MGNREGA labourer so that she would be able to pay her college dues to obtain her certificate.
Loji is a diploma engineering pass-out student from a private institute in Khordha district. But she opted to work under MGNREGA to pay Rs 24,000 to her college to get her certificate. “I have completed my diploma degree in civil engineering during the session 2016-19. Though the course fee was paid by the Government, my parents were unable to pay hostel fee. Of the total due amount of Rs 44,000, my parents paid Rs 20,000. As I have not cleared my dues, I was denied to get my certificate,†Loji told media.
Despite her repeated approach to the college authorities for release of her certificate, the college chairman did not respond. “I met my college principal, requested the chairman for my certificate, but nobody considered my plea,†she said.Even, her father had approached the Khordha MLA in this regard, but all their efforts brought no results.
“My father had submitted an application signed by the Khordha MLA to the college principal for release of my certificate. But the chairman said the certificate could not be released for not clearing the dues. In course of time, I failed to get admission into the BTech course as I have no certificate,†she said.
She then decided to earn money herself and clear all dues to obtain her certificate. Out of poverty and helplessness, she is engaged in soil lifting work at a daily wage of Rs 207 under MGNREGA. “We are five siblings. My father is the lone breadwinner in the family. It is very tough for him to bear expenses towards studies of five daughters. Therefore, I preferred to work. I have been working as a labourer under MGREGA in past 20 days with a hope that I can get my certificate and will pursue my studies someday,†Loji said.
She appealed to Government as well as private organisations seeking assistance for release of her certificate. However, she is confident that she can manage to clear her college dues. “If I do not get any assistance from Government or voluntary organisations, I will try to get my certificate with my little savings from the MGNREGA work,†Loji added.
