Around 40 migrant labourers, who come from neighbouring Bihar, Jharkhand and a few other states to work at brick kilns and jute mills in Hooghly district, on Friday urged Balagarh block development officer Niladri Sarkar to stay back instead of joining his new posting at Gaighata in North 24-Parganas.

Their reason for the plea is apprehension about the future of their children whom Sarkar helped get admission to schools in the district.

Sarkar, who had been transferred to Gaighata block a few days ago on completion of his tenure at Balagarh, took special initiative to admit about 600 children of migrant labourers to schools. It eventually became a pilot project in Hooghly district.

The objective of the project is to ensure that children of migrant labourers do not remain deprived of basic education during their stay in Bengal.

The parents of the children met the BDO at his office on Friday and told him about their apprehension that their children's education would be hampered once he left Balagarh.

Moli Devi, a migrant labour from Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh whose daughter Sona Nayak was admitted to Class IV by the BDO, said: "Admission of my daughter to school has changed her life.... I am afraid that once BDO sahab leaves this place, the brick kiln will not allow me to take her to school. So I came to request him to stay back here for the sake of our children".

The children, many of whom were inconsolable, came with chocolates and flowers. They urged Sarkar to stay back.

Sarkar, who also became very emotional, expressed his helplessness but assured the children and their parents that nothing would deter the kids from pursuing education in his absence. He also promised to keep in touch with them to ensure their proper education without any hindrance.

Moved by the passion for learning, Sarkar took the children to a restaurant for lunch in Balagarh town where they for the first time experienced the taste of chicken Biriyani.

Sitting in the comfort of the restaurant, the children also had the delight of having food with their "BDO Uncle", while the restaurant authorities took special care of each child. "The kids deserve this special treatment", Sarkar said.

"They made the day special for me today. I am overwhelmed," said BDO Sarkar.

"It is great to know that the parents of these children have realised the need for education. The initiative to educate these children was actually taken by Balagarh Bijoykrishna Mahavidyalaya and I on behalf of the state government provided the necessary support by admitting the children to schools and ensuring their food as well," Sarkar told The Telegraph.

Sources in the Hooghly administration said the pilot project had its roots in an endeavour conceptualized by Jirat Colony High School and Balagarh Bijoykrishna Mahavidyalaya under their NSS programme. "Concerns of the parents are quite true since some brick kilns were creating problems. But Niladri babu has already taken up the issue with higher authorities to ensure that nothing comes in the way of the education of these children," said Partha Chattopadhyaya, a professor and NSS coordinator of Balagarh Bijoykrishna Mahavidyalaya.