An alleged postal delay has shattered the dream of Balaram Tudu, a tribal boy from Orissa, who toiled for one year to get into one of the country's premier engineering institutions, the Indian Institute of Technology.

Balaram, who belongs to Mayurbhanj district that is dominated by tribal people, has alleged that he did not receive his counseling letter due to the postal department's callousness.

By the time the tribal boy, who secured the 83rd rank in the Scheduled Tribes category in the all-India entrance examination, received his rank card on August 17, the counseling process was over.

"When I inquired about my admission in IIT Kharagpur, the officials told me that the postal department had received the letter much earlier. They produced receipt of signature of the post office," he said.

However, a postal department official said the post peon found Balaram absent when he had gone to deliver the speed post letter at Balaram's house.

The student has lodged an official complaint.