Odisha Govt Extends Help To Topper Bonda Girl, Who Toiled In Heat To Meet Study Expenses

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has extended help to 2022 Plus II Commerce topper of Malkangiri Karma Muduli, who had been toiling as a daily labourer to meet her study expenses.

Malkangiri DWO Praful Kumar Bhujabal on Wednesday hand over a cheque worth Rs 30,000 to Karma. This came a day after the DWO along with Khairput WEO visited the work site where she was engaged and enquired about her financial condition while assuring assistance from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF), sources said.

The 20-year-old had then told the officials that the monthly expenses at Rama Devi Women’s University, Bhubaneswar, where she is pursuing Plus III, came to around Rs 3,000.

Life took a sharp U-turn in just one year for Karma, who was hailed as a symbol of hope and transformation in the Bonda community. A student of Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste department run Government Higher Secondary School at Govindpalli, she was the first from Primitive and Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) to top in the Commerce stream of Plus II in the district securing 82.66 per cent in the examination.

A native Padeiguda village under Khairput block in the district, she then took admission at the varsity in Bhubaneswar. Her study expenses amount to Rs 24,000, including the annual hostel fee of Rs 12,000. Since her parents, who worked as daily wagers, were unable to afford the money, Karma also took up work at a house construction site near the districts headquarters hospital with the varsity closed for summer vacation.

Bhujabal earlier told the media that she was getting an annual stipend (post-matric scholarship) of Rs 13,000, which included Rs 10,000 for hostel and Rs 3000 for school fee, and also admitted that the amount was not enough to meet her expenses.

Her family has also been receiving livelihood support under OPELIP scheme of Bonda Development Agency, Mudulipada, while her parents have been availing old age pension under MBPY scheme, he added.