State education minister Partha Chatterjee’s assurance of conducting admission without counselling failed to allay fears and in turn raised suspicion on the transparency of the system.

Although Trinamul Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) blamed “outsiders” and “ex-students” for the irregularities, police arrested a second-year student of Surendra Nath College for allegedly taking Rs 30,000 from a fresher for admission in zoology department.

The anti-robbery section, ARS Kolkata Police, on Tuesday arrested SK Jasimuddin (20) a second-year student of Surendranath College, while taking money to the tune of Rs 30,000 for admission in zoology honours in Bangabasi or Surendrnath College or City College from Shreyasi Patra, a student and Sampat Patra, her father, residents of Panchla in Howrah.

In order to crackdown the ongoing irregularities, TMCP has dismantled the unions in four colleges ~ Gurudas College, Vidyasagar College, City College and Ananda Mohan College.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee told in Nabanna that the undergraduate admission would be based on the merit list alone and there would be no counselling from next year onwards. Admission related fees would be collected through banks, she added.

Earlier during the day, Mr Chatterjee had said that online admissions in Calcutta University colleges could be carried without verification and counselling from now onwards.

“The verification would be conducted after the first year admission procedures are completed,” he said.

However, he made it clear that without a merit list, admission in colleges would not be possible for any candidate. “We have sent the instruction to colleges in the districts as well regarding the cancellation of counselling. Also, information on availability of seats in various institutes have been sought. For verification, no admission procedure would be stopped.”

We will see if anything new can be done to make the admission process better next year, he said. He once again emphasised on the point that no outsiders would be able damage the college atmosphere under any circumstances.

On the other hand, state president of Trinamul Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) Jaya Dutta said that all the accused are former students. She further claimed that these incidents have taken place because of outsiders and the TMCP units will identify these and report it to the authorities.

“Identified accused will be disowned from the party. If any complaints are reported about colleges in south Kolkata, the accused will not be spared. The authorities are taking steps against the former students who have been found involved in corruption,” added the TMCP state president.

Meanwhile, principals of Surendranath College including morning, day and night, came together to talk on the issue. Talking on the accusations against the group-D staff of the institute, Dr Indranil Kar, principal of Surendranath Day College, said: “We have not found any proof against him. In absence of concrete proof, no action can be taken against him by the governing body of the college. However, as the administrator of the institute, I have issued a letter at his registered address asking for the truth of the matter. We have also asked for the reply within seven days.”

On Ratul hiding at Bankura, the principal said that he has been absent since later part of the last week. Since the college has just resumed classes after summer recess, confirming if he is absconding or hiding is difficult.