The West Bengal Nursing Council’s call for applications to auxiliary nursing and midwifery (ANM) and general nursing and midwifery (GNM) training courses has prompted a Rajya Sabha member of the Trinamul and the chairperson of the board of administrators of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) to write to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, seeking reservations for girls from the hills.

The ANM and GNM courses are taught at 39 centres across Bengal. While the ANM course is of two years, the GNM is a three-year course.

MP Shanta Chhetri wrote to Mamata and state health minister Chandrima Bhattacharya that many girls in Darjeeling and Kalimpong wanted to join the courses.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, guardians of the girls also want it. But in 2019, only seven girls from Darjeeling and three from Kalimpong were selected...I urged the chief minister to see if a part of the total number of seats can be marked for girls of the two districts (Darjeeling and Kalimpong).”

Anit Thapa, chairperson of the BoA of GTA, also urged Mamata to reserve 45 of the 90 seats at two training centres, each of which are located in the state-run hospitals in Darjeeling and Kalimpong .

“We have requested the chief minister to reserve at least half, that is 45 seats, for the hill candidates. This will create an opportunity of employment in the hills. The move will be appreciated by the people residing in the GTA area,” Thapa said.