MADURAI: After several girl students of the Government Homeopathic Medical College in Thirumangalam expressed concerns about their safety during the golden jubilee celebration preparatory meeting held one month ago, the alumni association pooled money and installed a fence for the institution.
Over 300 students are currently pursuing graduation courses in the college, which is the only government-run institution for homeopathy in the state.
Chitra, a student, said, “The college does not have a compound wall, due to which outsiders frequently come inside. This creates fear among women students. Moreover, miscreants often enter the playground located in the middle of campus. Hence, we raised the issue during the golden jubilee preparatory meeting and thankfully, our seniors supported us.”
College principal Dr R Radhamani said security guards are deployed on the premises at night, despite which several issues have been reported.
She added that the college would soon be shifted to a new facility in Thoppur, which is being built at a cost of Rs 70 crore. Due to this, there are a few challenges in fund allocation towards maintaining the current campus. “Fortunately, alumni stepped in and built a fence,” she said.
Secretary of the alumni association Dr R B Pavalan said, “Many women students raised the issue during the college’s golden jubilee celebration preparatory meeting. We conducted a survey of the campus and found that the front section was open and spacious. Areas behind the auditorium and other sections had overgrown thorny bushes. To address this, steel fencing spanning over 575 feet was installed, along with a large gate, at a cost of Rs 1.48 lakh. An RO water plant was also set up at Rs 1.5 lakh.”