BHOPAL: The Higher Education Department has flung into action to ensure that admission protocols set by the department are implemented.
Officials visited kiosk centres after complaints and took action against the guilty vendors by blacklisting them and shutting their shops. The registration for admissions for first round of counselling concluded on Sunday.
Higher education minister Jitu Patwari had issued instructions that girl students have been exempted from paying portal registration charge of Rs 50 at the MPOnline kiosks.
The education department has also established a help desk at every lead college and a state level help desk, phone numbers of which were circulated
The help desk received complaints that some kiosk vendors were charging Rs 50 from girl students as well. Officials of the department went to the spot and took action.
According to information, action has been taken against more than a dozen kiosk vendors. They have been blacklisted and their IDs (connection with MPOnline) have been snapped.
Reports also suggest that timely intervention by higher education department authorities helped several girl students. A kiosk vendor was charging portal fees from girl students but principal of a college reached there and got the amount refunded to girls.
A similar incident was also reported from Gwalior where a kiosk vendor had to return portal fee he charged from the girls after he was given a warning.
A senior official said that strict action will be taken against those dozen vendors. ‘They have been blacklisted. If a nexus or organised syndicate of vendors is found, FIR will be lodged against them,’ said the official.
This is for the first time that higher education department is taking action against the vendors that are not following instructions issued by the department.
