Students from three colleges in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts staged road blockade in front of the respective college premises on Tuesday, protesting against alleged collection of excess fees. On Tuesday, over 1,000 students of an Institute of Technology in Arasur staged a protest here in front of the college demanding the college management to refund the excess fees that they had allegedly collected from the students. They blocked the stretch of Avinashi Road for more than an hour.The students, led by Students Federation of India (SFI) representatives, also urged the college to provide facilities for girl students and more facilities in the hostel. Their other key demand was to allow elections to be conducted in the college for the post of student chairman.
With the intervention of the Sulur Police, the demonstrators cleared the highway and continued a protest on the premises of the institution as the management and demonstrators did not reach an agreement.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Karumathampatty, K. Krishnamoorthy, told The Hindu that the Revenue Division Officer of Coimbatore will chair a meeting on Friday evening to work out a solution. “Representatives of the students and college management, revenue officials and police will take part in the meeting. The college management has declared indefinite closure of the institution,” he said. In another incident, students of another Engineering institution near Madukkarai staged a demonstration on the road, in front of the college, seeking fulfilment of similar demands. Students here claimed that the college had collected excessive fees towards training, placement and hostel. The K.G. Chavadi Police who intervened, said the college management assured the students that the issues would be set right. “The college will reopen on Monday,” police sources said.
In Tirupur district, students of another institute in Palladam, along with members of SFI, staged road blockade for a few hours near Palladam alleging that the management had been levying high tuition fees and added that facilities in the college were poor besides food served in the canteen being below the mark, they said.
As the agitation began, the college authorities declared holiday for the institution till Sunday evening. Terming the allegations levelled by the students as “baseless”, college sources told The Hindu that fees were levied only as per the norms. They also denied allegations relating to food and amenities in the rooms at the hostel. College officials also clarified that if the students wanted to attend the classes, the institution could be opened instantly.
Coimbatore District Secretary of SFI D. Deepak Chandrakanth said that protests would continue after the colleges reopen, if the managements fail to meet the demands.
