Examinees leave the Teachers’ Eligibility Test centre in Bhagalpur on Wednesday. Picture by Amit Kumar

Bhagalpur, Dec. 21: Varanasi resident Jyoti Kumar arrived in the city on the evening of December 19 to take the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) the next day, but she and her father found no accommodation. One Rekha Devi took the father-daughter duo home on learning their plight and saved them from spending the bone-chilling nocturnal hours on the street.

Jyoti and her father’s experience, however, was not a one-off case and neither was Rekha the only Good Samaritan in the silk city. Students from Bihar may have received an antagonistic reception in other states, but the residents of the Silk City have set an example for the rest of the country to emulate. They have arranged for a warm welcome to the youths, who turned up to take banking and other examinations.

Describing her experience, Jyoti told The Telegraph: “My father and I arrived in Bhagalpur on December 19. Since my examination centre was at Adampur Chowk, we wanted to stay in the locality. However, there were no hotels or lodges. But a resident of the area, Rekha Devi, offered us shelter. She had come out to buy vegetables. When she learnt of our plight, Rekha took us home. It is unbelievable that anyone would do this.”

Bhagalpur sub-divisional officer (SDO) Sunil Kumar said about 50,000 students arrived in the city on November 27 to take a banking examination. Around 1 lakh more turned up for the TET yesterday and today. Many of them are from other states.

“We have tried our best to take care of the large number of students who are coming to the city. We have arranged for their shelter, transport and other facilities. As Bhagalpur is not a big city and does not have many hotels and lodges, we have to depend on voluntary organisations to help us,” said the SDO.

Voluntary organisations like puja samitis, Nagarik Vikas Samiti, Muslim Education Society, Timber Merchants’ Association, Eastern Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Fair Price Dealers’ Association have also joined the efforts to help out examinees. School buildings have also been converted into temporary shelters for students.

District assistant marketing officer Kamal Kumar Jaiswal, who was in-charge of organising various facilities, said: “We are proud of the people and the organisations of the city. Bihar students were treated badly in Maharashtra, but the residents have set an example for others to follow.”