All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU), which undertook its first phase of education tour 2019 to colleges/institutes in Mokokchung and Zunheboto districts from January 30, to February 1, 2019, Saturday said it has collected various issues concerning the student community, adding it would take up the issues with the Nagaland University and the responsible department.
In a press release, ANCSU president Katho P Awomi and general secretary, Vimeyiekho Vitso, said during their visit to Fazl Ali College (FAC) Mokokchung on January 30, the union observed that private individuals “confidently” constructing houses within the college campus. In this regard, the union has appealed to the college authority, district administration and the state government to immediately react and ensure a safe environment for the college to grow.
The union has also appealed to the state government to purchase the college lands, bring out a proper survey map of the college land and properly demarcate boundary wall so there was no other means to sabotage the development of the college in the future.
ANCSU expressed concern that FAC being the oldest government colleges in Nagaland was still facing land issues.
On January 31, the ANCSU said the team visited Zunheboto Government College (ZGC) and inspected the college buildings and other infrastructures. During the visit, the union said it was surprised that ZGC did not having basic required infrastructure. The union has appealed to the state government to attend the district colleges on priority by developing the college infrastructure and also introducing other streams. ANCSU further appealed to the state government to demarcate boundary walls of the college land to avoid land encroachment issues though presently there was no land dispute.
On February 1, the union said they visited Khelhoshe Polytechnic Atoizu (KPA) and was “appalled” to see the institute in a wretched condition. “The union after thorough discussion with the faculty and students could identify that the institute is being impaired both by the ignorance of the state government and the narcissistic stance of the land owners,” ANCSU stated. It said the institute “an ancient looking building’ was left with classrooms mostly with no window panes and no transportation services. The union said it was also shocked to learn that the institute could not undertake developmental activities due to the land owners.
ANCSU said it was disheartened to learn that the students were prevented from painting the building by land owners unless paid due percentage of shares. The union questioned that if such was the attitude of the land owners/donors, how would the institute grow? The union has therefore appealed to the state government to purchase the college land and demarcate proper boundary walls to foster developments in the institute. During its interaction with KPA students, ANCSU said it was revealed that the directorate of technical education has allegedly misappropriated the state technical scholarship funds by giving away personal loans to their staff and organizing farewell programme to the tune of Rs.40 lakh. In this regard, ANCSU has demanded that the name of those officials involved in the “scholarship scam” be revealed in the public domain and be punished under the law.
Meanwhile, the union has stated that affirmed “total opposition” to any kind of attachment or redeployment of Asst./Assoc. Professors. ANCSU also questioned the idea of the state government to ‘redeploy’ the lecturers when the union opposed for ‘attachment’. The union said it cannot be “swayed away” by such unreasoning means and it strongly opposed the nature of attachment/redeployment. The union has appealed to the concerned lecturers not to compromise the career of the students for the sake of their personal comfort.
On the appointment of contract assistant professors, the union said through the education tour it has conveyed its opposition to regularising those appointed on contract. While acknowledging the service of those contract lecturers, the union questioned the state government’s sincerity towards the growth of higher education. ANCSU demanded that no regularisation should be done for those contract appointees and that the state government should immediately send those posts to be recruited through NPSC.
With regard to scholarship issue, the union said during its tour to colleges it discouraged the students, who were not entitled for scholarship, not to apply for it.
ANCSU appealed to the Affidavit issuing agencies not to randomly issue Affidavit as it was liable for prosecution under the law. The union claimed that many children of gazetted officers were also applying for Post Matriculation Scholarship Scheduled Tribe when the maximum annual income of parents was Rs.2,50,000. The union warned those officers not to furnish fake affidavits as it was liable to service termination and the students not to apply for scholarship if not entitled.
The union appealed to the state government to revoke all those permanent or temporary deals pertaining to the colleges/institute land that was rigid and purchase all the government college/institute lands.
The union, which scheduled to undertake tour to other district colleges/institutes, has appealed for cooperation.