BENGALURU: A college in Shravanabelagola has been asked to declare a holiday for students for almost 22 days in February to accommodate guests visiting the town for the Mahamastakabhisheka function which will be held next month. The principal of the college had submitted a request to the Director of the State Department of Technical Education for closing the college between February 4 to February 26.
Replying to the communication sent by the principal, the director of the department has asked Sri Bahubali Polytechnic College to compensate for the lost days by conducting special classes and taking classes on holidays after the holiday. The letter sent by the principal of the college said, “The classrooms are needed to make arrangements for accommodation of guests arriving to witness Mahamastakabisheka. In this regard, working president of the Mastakabisheka committee 2018 has requested us to provide the college for accommodation and asked the department to give permission for it.”
When contacted, the officials at the department justified the move and said, “This has been considered as a special occasion considering the request of the principal following the request made by the working president. We have clearly insisted the college authorities to finish the syllabus by conducting special classes, working on Sundays and on other holidays too.”
Meanwhile, the college authorities have been asked to send a detailed report about how the classes will be compensated and ways to negate the effect of the 22-day break.
But, this action by the department and by the college has irked students and faculty who will now be forced to give up their holidays and Sundays. “It is not that they are declaring a holiday because the students need to witness it or to be a part of it. But because they want to accommodate guests,” said an irate student studying at Sri Bahubali Polytechnic college. “They have declared a holiday for their convenience. Why do we have to attend classes on Sundays? Why can’t they make accommodation arrangements outside. This is a college not a commercial space,” said another student.
For students staying in the college hostel, the holidays will bring worries about their belongings left behind in their rooms.
ASI objects to construction of lift
Shravanabelagola: Mahamastakabhisheka working committee members have discusseda the objections raised by the Archaeology Survey of India against the construction of a third lift behind Gomateshwara statue at Vindhyagiri in Shravanabelagola.
A review meeting chaired by District Minister A Manju on Saturday resolved to come up with an alternative system before January 30. Archaeological Survey of India officials had written to Digambar Jain Mutt and PWD officials not to carry out any civil work near the statue for building one more lift which may cause damage to the monolith statue recently. ASI officials observed that vibration during lift movement may affect the statue.