COIMBATORE: Expressing shock over the decision of Government Arts College to increase fees for Parent Teacher Association (PTA) from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000, students alleged that officials are threatening to remove from nominal rolls names of those who do not pay the fee.
Ramesh, a second-year UG student said, “When I joined, the administration collected Rs 500 as a PTA fee and said that it would be collected only in the first year. But on July 11, the administration issued an order directing students in the second year and third years to pay Rs 250 to the college in the name of a special PTA fee by July 25. If they will not pay the fee by the given date, students should pay this fee along with the penalty which is one rupee per day by August 8. After that names would be removed from the rolls.”
Advocate M Ganesh, an alumnus. lodged a complaint about it with the Regional Joint Director (RJD) of collegiate education on Wednesday. “Many students who come from the economically weaker section are pursuing studies by taking up part-time work. Increasing the fee for the students will not be acceptable. If the college does not withdraw this fee hike, we will file a case in court,” he said.
State president of All India Student’s Federation Dinesh Seerangaraj said the college has no powers to remove names from the nominal roll over non-payment of fees. College principal R Ulagi said her predecessor V Kalaiselvi, who is the present RJD, had taken approval from the college’s academic council to increase the PTA fee last year and implemented it.
She added that the council can take a decision on cancelling the hike too. Further, Ulagi said she was not aware of the order about deleting names from the rolls and said it would be recalled. When contacted, Kalaiselvi said that she did not implement the fee hike during her tenure. However, both said the council had approved the fee hike in order to pay salaries to teaching and non-teaching staff appointed by PTA.