Bhubaneswar, April 11: A group of students today met secretary of technical education C.S. Kumar and alleged that private engineering colleges in the state had duped them by providing false information. As a result, they couldn’t get themselves registered into any of the colleges.

Around 738 of these students secured admission in the last academic session. But, the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) refused to register them. The students said that at the time of admission, they were told they would be eligible “under the management quota, which is 10 per cent”, as they had cleared the All-India Engineering Entrance Examinations (AIEEE) conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

However, BPUT authorities didn’t give them their registration numbers, saying only those who had qualified through Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE), were eligible for admission through the management quota.

OJEE secretary Priyabrata Sahoo said: “While the Supreme Court had allowed filling up of 10 per cent of the management seats with students from the OJEE merit list, private engineering colleges filled up the seats with their own students from the AIEEE.”

“According to the court ruling, the government had allowed 10 per cent seats under the OJEE. We never allowed admissions under the AIEEE. How can we give registration numbers to those who haven’t been admitted?” said BPUT vice-chancellor J.K. Sathpathy.

“Barring us, other students of our class were issued registration numbers and have appeared for their first semester exams as well. The second semester will be held in another two weeks and we are yet to get our registration numbers. We have been cheated,” said Prerna, a student.

“The college management said that a court case was on and we would get our registration numbers. I repent my decision to join this place,” said student Aman.

A senior officer of the technical education department said it had become a practice for private colleges to flout government rules. “The students should not allow themselves to be cheated by these institutes,” said the officer.

The BPUT students’ union today threatened to launch an agitation against the private colleges. “These colleges should either return the fees of the students or give them their numbers,” said Jeetendra Dash, leader of the union.