PUDUCHERRY: Activists of the Students Federation of India (SFI) of Kadirgamam Arts and Science College on Monday took out a rally and held a demonstration near the Legislative Assembly urging the administration to provide free laptops as promised by the ruling AINRC government.
The student activists took a rally through the main thoroughfares of the town and were stopped by police when they planned to march towards the Assembly. Barricades were put up by police to halt the rally. They then staged a demonstration to register their protest against the inordinate delay in the distribution of laptops. They raised slogans urging the administration to distribute laptops and address the problems faced by the schools and colleges like the filling up of vacancies, construction of toilets and provision for safe drinking water.
The activists later submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister’s office regarding the issue.
SFI state secretary A Anand said the administration should take all steps to issue free laptops to all students who pursued higher education right from the beginning of the regime of the N Rangasamy-led All India N R Congress (AINRC) government took charge.
Pointing out that the government had recently announced that free laptops would be distributed to the 12,500 plus-two students from July 15, he said the message was put up with an eye on the Assembly elections.
He said the AINRC manifesto during the 2011 Assembly polls had stated that free computers would be provided to class X students and free laptops to all students pursuing higher education.
Anand said ever after four-and-a-half years the government had failed to fulfil the promise. He said the recent announcement about free laptops was made as the Assembly election is round the corner.
Charging that the ruling AINRC government has decided to provide laptops only to students pursuing higher education for 2014-15 and 15-16, the SFI leader said this was ‘cheating’ the parents and students who voted the AINRC to power believing that the election manifesto of the party would be implemented.