Students of a government college (file picture)

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 6: Government and government-aided colleges of the state will waive the tuition fee and examination fee of students hailing from the flood-hit districts. For the private and ex-regular students of such affected areas, an exemption would be made only in the case of examination fee.

The state government took this decision at a post-flood review meeting chaired by chief minister Naveen Patnaik earlier this week. The fee waiver also applies to the government and fully aided high schools, Plus Two and Plus Three colleges in the flood-hit areas.

The floods, this year, caused damage in 173 blocks of 21 districts with the worst being Jajpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Sambalpur, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Cuttack, Balasore, Bargarh, Jagatsinghpur and Sonepur.

“Considering the extensive damage caused by the floods, the department of higher education has decided to exempt the tuition fee and examination fee in favour of the students, who are permanent residents of the affected blocks and municipalities or urban local bodies. This exemption would be applicable to students pursuing their studies at the Plus Two and Plus Three levels in government and non-government aided junior colleges, higher secondary schools and degree colleges for the current academic session,” said an official of the department.

The benefits would be extended to students upon furnishing certificates of the proof of their residence.

The documents are required to be sought from the respective block development officers, chairpersons of the panchayat samitis or sarpanchs of gram panchayats and executive officers or chairpersons of notified area councils or municipalities.

In another development, the Council of Higher Secondary Education has decided to hike the Plus Two examination fee by Rs 15 for each student.

The fee has been enhanced from Rs 150 to Rs 165 for all students who would be appearing for the Plus Two exams 2012 onwards. This also applies to the ex-regular and private candidates.