“BBS candidates need to refund to get back their documents”

The first batch of medical voice medical voice transcribers who failed to complete the one year training conducted by the five-year old Bhutan Business Solution (BBS) are complaining that the organization failed to return their original documents after they left the institute.

A contract was signed on 27th July, 2010 between Department of Human Resources (DoHR) under the labor ministry (MoLHR) as the client and BBS.

The contract terms stipulate that the labor ministry will be responsible for paying the tuition fees and stipend to the in training candidates after which if they are recruited by the organization, BBS will pay them a monthly salary.

According to instructions from the DoHR, the candidates also cannot leave the training while it is ongoing unless there is a medical reason and the candidates are supposed to be trained for a year because of the huge costs involved.

However, some candidates who left the training midway were disappointed when they contacted the relevant authorities to retrieve their original documents but were refused on the grounds that they violated the contract terms.

“When I went to get my documents I was asked to refund Nu 14,000 and talk to the concerned people which  I did; I even got an approval letter from MoLHR,” said a candidate, Pasang Lhamo, adding that she left the training on medical grounds but lost her medical reports. “So now, I am facing difficulties getting back my documents.”

Many trainees left without completing the training while some are disappointed because they were not selected despite undergoing the full training.

“I missed out on a lot of other job opportunities,” said a disgruntled ex-BBS candidate.

Currently, more than 80 people are working with the company including 30 candidates from the first batch.

Out of the 100 candidates who trained in the first batch, some left saying the work was too labor-intensive and grueling.

But the Production Manager of BBS, Dr Srikant Kulkarni said that if the candidate leaves the training in-between, then he or she has to refund the expenses to the company.

He said that BBS has already paid out the full sum to the labor ministry and now, the candidates should refund BBS instead.

Meanwhile, Dr Srikant Kulkarni also said, “Even we don’t want to hold back their documents as it’s not good for their future but all they have to do is negotiate with the government and the company and refund as per the contract.”

The tuition fee per candidate per month is Nu 5,000 and a stipend of Nu 1,500 paid to each candidate per month is subject to a deduction of Nu 50 per day if he or she is absent from training.

If the candidate attends the training for the first month and leaves in the second month, the candidate has to refund double the total amount (tuition fee and stipend) to the MoLHR, according to rule.

But if the candidate leaves in the third month and also misses some of the classes in the second month then, he or she has to refund for the classes missed with the tuition and stipend fee.

The labor ministry was considering black listing those who did not refund the money by preventing them from participating in future programs except for those who left on valid medical grounds and produced their medical reports.

However, the candidates feel that the company lured them with false promises and now they are left in a lurch.