TIRUCHY: Complaining of overcrowding and poor living conditions on campus, around 85 college students staying at the Government Adi Dravidar Welfare College Girls’ Hostel in Cantonment staged a protest outside the district collectorate on Thursday night.
Staging a protest near the main gate of the collectorate, the hostel inmates complained of lack of space, malfunctioning fans, irregular electricity and water supply, and insufficient toilet facilities. On information, police and revenue officials, including Cantonment ACP Yasmin Banu and Tiruchy West RDO Prakash, held talks with the protesters.
The protesting students, however, alleged that earlier promises like not accommodating schoolchildren along with them, which were made after a protest about four months ago, were even yet to be fulfilled. They hence refused to disperse unless the collector met them in person.
Officials then took the students to the grievance hall at the collectorate, offering to hold a meeting between student representatives and the collector. The students, however, rejected the offer and reiterated their demand for direct talks with the collector.
Collector V Saravanan, accompanied by DRO Rajalakshmi and Assistant Collector (Trainee) Deepi Sanu, subsequently came down to meet the protesting students. One of them complained that 25 students were accommodated in rooms meant for eight at the hostel.