ANCSU first phase education tour reveals maladies eating away into government educational institutions
DIMAPUR, FEBURARY 2 (MExN): Rampant land encroachment, ailing infrastructure and obstructive land owners- these are some of the not-so-new maladies that is eating away into the government educational institutions in the state and hampering its growth- the All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) revealed on Saturday.
After carrying out its First Phase of Education Tour 2019 which began from January 30 and concluded on February 1, the ANCSU issued a press statement highlighting their findings of their inspection of government educational institutions in two districts- Mokokchung and Zunheboto.
ANCSU said it detected a number of anomalies in infrastructure and developmental activities during their tour. Besides the apathy of the state government in maintaining the infrastructure of these institutes, it also expressed dismay to observe encroachment of lands by individuals and the unaccommodating attitude of land owners which was stunting the growth of these institutions.
Private individuals constructing houses in Fazl Ali college campus
At Fazl Ali College, Mokokchung, ANCSU reported that private individuals were confidently constructing houses within the college campus. It therefore appealed the college authority, district administration and the state government to immediately “react to these forces and ensure a safe environment for the college to grow.”
It also asked the state government to “out rightly purchase the college lands, bring out a proper survey map and properly demarcate a boundary wall so that there is no other means to sabotage the development of the college in the near future.”
At Zunheboto Government College, the ANCSU found that the college does not have even the basic infrastructure. Questioning the state government over its negligence, it made a clarion call to give utmost priority to develop the college infrastructure and introduce other streams. It also appealed the state government to demarcate boundary wall around the college land in order to avoid land encroachment issue in days to come.
Land owners hindering growth of Khelhoshe Polytechnic Atoizu
Following an inspection of the Khelhoshe Polytechnic Atoizu (KPA), the ANCSU termed the condition of the institute as most wretched- handicapped by the ignorance of the state government on one side and the obstructive stance of land owners on the other.
It alleged that the institute cannot undertake developmental activities due to obstruction from the land owners. Citing an instance, ANCSU revealed how land owners did not allow the students to paint the institute with some amount of money collected from amongst themselves until and unless a percentage/share was paid to them.
It also revealed the most of the classrooms was without window panes and there was also no transportation service.
Against attachment/redeployment of lecturers
Meanwhile, the ANCSU as part of its first phase education tour declared its opposition to any kind of attachment or redeployment of assistant/associate professors. Questioning the stance of the state government to ‘redeploy’ the lecturers when the union opposed their ‘attachment,’ the union vowed to oppose the nature of attachment/redeployment by any means.
It also appealed the concerned lecturers not to compromise the career of the students for the sake of their personal comfort.
Contract appointment of assistant professors mushrooming
The ANCSU also expressed worry over the mushrooming of contract appointments of assistant professors. The union claimed that the number of assistant professors appointed till date is almost half the number of regular assistant/associate professors.
While acknowledging the service of these contract lecturers, it questioned the sincerity of the state government towards higher education by not advertising the posts through the Nagaland public Service Commission (NPSC) and instead making appointment under the mask of contract appointments.
The ANCSU has therefore demanded that no regularization should be done for those contract appointees and that the state government immediately reroute these post to be recruited through NPSC.
On scholarship issue, the union observed that many children of gazetted officers were applying for Post Matric Scholarship when the maximum annual income of parents to avail the scholarship is Rs 2, 50,000 only. It has cautioned these officers in question against furnishing fake affidavits as it is liable to service termination. It also warned students not to apply for scholarship if they are not entitled and instead show the way for a corruption free society.
ANCSU is scheduled to tour other district colleges/institutes and has appealed for cooperation.
