Over 200 govt employees donate day’s salary for MBBS student’s fee

Over 200 employees, including District Collector Tushar Sumera, from the Bharuch district administration generously contributed their day’s salary to support Aaliyabanu Patel, an MBBS student, in paying her second-semester fee of Rs 4 lakh.

Aaliyah Banu, whose father is visually impaired, secured admission into Parul University in Vadodara last year after achieving a 79.80 percent score in her Class 12 examinations.

Having encountered financial difficulties in pursuing her education, Aaliyabanu Patel recently reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, and the district administration for support. This plea for assistance followed a previous assurance from PM Modi during an event last year, where both Aaliyabanu and her father were promised help.

During an event called ‘Utkarsh Pehel’ held on May 12 last year, the Prime Minister engaged in a conversation with Ayyub Patel, a visually impaired resident of Vagra taluka in Bharuch district. Ayyub Patel, who was one of the beneficiaries of the central government’s Rashtriya Vrudh Pension Scheme, attended the event with his wife and three daughters. He shared his experience of losing his vision due to glaucoma and had the opportunity to discuss it with the Prime Minister.

During their conversation, Prime Minister Modi inquired about Ayyub Patel’s children, coincidentally on the same day when the Class 12 results were declared. Patel took the opportunity to mention his eldest daughter, Aaliyabanu. PM Modi congratulated Aaliyabanu and had a brief conversation with her.

When Prime Minister Modi asked Aaliyabanu about her career aspirations, she expressed her desire to become a doctor, specifically an ophthalmologist, inspired by her father’s vision loss. PM Modi assured Patel that he could reach out to him if his daughter encountered any obstacles in pursuing her dream.

In a recent interview with The Indian Express, Aaliyabanu Patel shared her gratitude, saying, “My father was facing financial difficulties, and we remembered that PM Modi had offered his help. So, we reached out to him and the district collector, seeking financial assistance. I am extremely thankful to PM Modi and the District Collector for their support.”

Patel explained, “To cover the first-semester fees and other expenses for Aaliya, I had to borrow a total of Rs. 7.70 lakh from friends, relatives, and others. I obtained a loan of Rs. 5 lakh from a private bank and received Rs. 1 lakh from the World Bharuch Vohra Federation.”

He continued, “The first semester will conclude in May, and we need to pay the fees for the second semester by June. I wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and District Collector, seeking financial assistance to pay for my daughter’s fees. In January, I also applied for the Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavalamban Yojana scholarship scheme, but I am still awaiting a response.”

Ayyub, who owns a shop in Bharuch that he rents out for Rs. 10,000 per month, shared these details.

Upon receiving the letter, Sumera rallied his colleagues for support. “More than 200 officials from the Bharuch Revenue Department generously contributed their day’s salary towards this worthy cause. The total amount was deposited in a bank,” he stated.

The cheque was presented to Aliyabanu on Saturday.

“We are also exploring options to assist Ayyub bhai in paying his daughter’s fees in the upcoming years,” added Sumera.