THOOTHUKUDI: Students of various colleges, with support from Student Federation of India (SFI) functionaries, petitioned District Collector G Lakshmipathy to reinstate students dismissed by a private arts and science college for protesting against the hike in fees, during the grievance redressal meeting on Monday.
SFI District Secretary Kishore said, "The Kamaraj College had dismissed three students for protesting against the college administration for hiking the fee more than the government's norms. The government had fixed a fee of Rs 4,500, while the college collects more than Rs 20,000 and proceeds to stifle the voice of the students. The students were dismissed despite the sub-collector's direction to not take action against them."
Fishers blocking water release, allege farmers
Two farmers of Chembur Panchayat near Alwarthirunagari alleged that the fishers leasing the Thenkarai tank were preventing water release.
"The lessee has stopped water release for more than two weeks to catch fish. Though our paddy and banana crops cultivated on over 100 acres, were irrigated by the unexpected showers, the water resource department should take immediate action," the farmers said.
Two grama sabha meetings in five years
The people of Potaloorani belonging to Ellainayakkanpatti of Karungulam panchayat union said that though the village comprises 45% of the total population of Ellainayakkanpatti, only two grama sabha meetings have been conducted in the last five years. They alleged that this is against the amendment to the Tamil Nadu Grama Sabha Rules, 1998, and urged the collector to take steps to conduct the grama sabha meeting at Potaloorani by August 15.