Karkala: Students at Women's Polytechnic College rise in protest

R B Jagadish
Daijiworld Media Network – Karkala (DV)

Karkala, Jul 23: The students of Karkala Women's Polytechnic College, which was established five years ago, boycotted classes and gheraoed the principal on Monday July 22, expressing their ire over various problems they were facing. Sources said that some invisible hands were behind the incident.
 
After the appointment of D Vasudev as principal of the institution, a series of problems have been occurring and this has made the students take to the streets for agitations frequently. It is said that regular quarrels among the staff have unfortunately resulted in the students having to suffer.

Karkala Women's Polytechnic is said to lack basic facilities and it is running on a rented building. Following a circular from the government, the principal began to collect rupees 4,000 as hostel fees from the students who had taken the facility. This act of the principal is said to have provoked this particular protest.

The state government provides Rs 1600 annually to SC/ST students through the social welfare department, however, the principal who termed it as a 'blessing' for students, reportedly decided to give the students Rs 1300 and return the remaining amount back to the government. The principal has even withheld scholarship amount to 15 students, it is alleged.

There is no water supply in the toilets which has made them stink. There are part time workers appointed to clean the toilets and class rooms. The office and classrooms are still untidy and environment is not conducive for education, claimed the students.

The students said that the management has not addressed their problems yet. "The negative attitude of the principal and his actions, such as denying admission to over 5 students this academic year, refusal to sign the bus pass and not permitting talent exhibitions and so on have left us in the lurch," complained the students.

The students boycotted class during the morning. They prevented staff members from opening the institution and surrounded the principal at the gate. They kept on shouting slogans demanding transfer of the principal.

Police who arrived on the spot brought the situation under control. Taluk panchayat president Rashmi Shetty, former vice-president Ravindra Kumar, Prameela Harish, standing committee president Praveen Salian, Sujith Shetty, former MLA H Gopal Bhandary rushed to the spot.

Tahsildar Nirmaladevi, second grade tahsildar Manikya, assistant tahsildar K P Nayak, social welfare officer Anusuya discussed the matter with the principal.
 
It was also alleged that the principal had collected the hostel fees from the students without giving them receipts. Though he presented a bill book with details of students who had paid the fees, tahsildar Nirmaladevi expressed dissatisfaction.

Report to DC

Tahsildar Nirmaladevi gathered the statements from the principal, students, staffs and submitted a report to deputy commissioner Dr Rejju.

The locals who learnt of the issue demanded Lokayukta probe and alleged that the government servants are mishandling the projects meant for people's benefit.