Members of the college management of the government-aided college in Nagamalai Pudukottai, Madurai, said that they would not be able to collect fees as fixed by the government as it is not enough to run the college. Regarding this, the All India Students' Association (AISA) government-aided college wing staged an indoor protest on April 3 and 5 against the college management for collecting excess fees from the students and demanded that the management return excess fees.
Following this, officials from revenue and police intervened and convened the meeting on Tuesday, April 11. A team led by West Tahsildar organised a peace committee meeting between the government-aided college in Nagamalai Pudukottai and the students, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
Further, five students appeared from the side of the protestors. Similarly, from the management side, Principal M Rajendran and a few members of the college board appeared and informed that the fees fixed by the government is not enough for the management to run the college. In this regard, a letter has been sent to the Director of Collegiate Education through the Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education. Recording the management's reply, Tahsildar concluded the meeting.
Speaking on this issue, AISA government-aided college wing in charge, R Devaraj, said that on October 8, 2021, Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education R Pon Muthuramalingam ordered the college management to return excess fees within one week of time. If they failed action will be taken. But, till now no action has been taken, he added.
What happened earlier?
Regarding this, on November 24, 2022, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court ordered the Tamil Nadu government to take action against the college management within eight weeks. But, the government did not take action as per the court's order, he said.
He further demanded the authorities of collegiate education to order the college management to return excess fees and withdraw the action taken by the college management against the students who staged a protest, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
"The Chief Minister MK Stalin must take efforts to appoint a special officer for administering the college as per the Private Colleges Regulation Act 1976 section 14A," he added. When The New Indian Express contacted Principal M Rajendran he refused to disclose the details of the meeting.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education (RJDCE) R Pon Muthuramalingam said that a week ago, college management sent a letter to the Director of Collegiate Education, it stated that collecting the fixed fees by the government was not enough to run the college, it was only with the consent of the parents that the college collected excess fees, he said.
