Tuesday, January 4 2005 20:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: The NRI medical students, displaced from their MBBS seats at SSKM and Midnapore medical colleges in West Bengal following an SC order, today (Jan 4, 2005) alleged that the State Government was not taking any step to safeguard their academic future.

The students, who met Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee at his office later during the day, told reporters that they were very unhappy with the State Government's position and warned that if anything happened to any of the students, the Government would be held responsible.

Soumyadip Bhowmick, who was admitted to Midnapore Medical College, said that the State Government can use its legislative powers to increase the number of seats at the various medical colleges across West Bengal so that the 69 students were re-admitted.

He alleged that the mistake was on the part of the State Government which was not admitted in the court.

Meanwhile, the students out-rightly rejected Government's offer to opt for bio-medical engineering course which was being designed for them by West Bengal University of Technology.

"We want our MBBS seats back," one of the students said.

Asked to comment on this, Bhattacharjee said "how can I give assurance to them since the matter was sub-judice".

The matter was now being heard in the Supreme Court.