Members of ANCSU’ digital monitoring team during the first day of its indefinite ‘digital protest’ in Kohima on October 12. (Morung Photo)
ANCSU targets 2 lakh messages on second day and 1 million thereafter
Morung Express News
Kohima | October 12
The All Nagaland College Students' Union (ANCSU) began its indefinite ‘digital protest’ on Monday, October 12.
The digital protest comes in the backdrop of the State Government's failure to meet the Union's demand to set up an Enquiry Commission to probe into the fund utilization of Rs 3,71,60,000 for the Khelhoshe Polytechnic, Atoizu (KPA).
On the first day of the digital protest, at least 50,000 messages were expected to be sent to the email accounts of top government functionaries including the Chief Minister's Office, concerned Minister, Chief Secretary, Government Polytechnics and others as well.
"Tomorrow we will intensify our mode of protest and at least 2 lakh messages will be sent in the email accounts. If the government fails to meet our demands, by the third day we will be sending at least one million messages," stated President ANCSU Vimeyiekho Vitso, addressing a press conference along with his colleagues at its office on October 12.
If the government fails to meet their demands, the ANCSU is planning to intensify the protest beyond the digital mode. Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms are being employed to voice their resentment.
"Till now we are blaming no individual, or authority for this mismanagement. We are demanding only setting up of an enquiry commission," he maintained.
Meanwhile, Vitso said that ANCSU decided to hold the protest digitally as the State is striving towards rebuilding its economy and healthcare because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Union does not want to disturb it.
“We (ANCSU) do not wish to sabotage the betterment of our State in any way,” he underscored. "Our mode of agitation will be very peaceful as we do not wish to disturb the society in any way.”
Giving a brief background of the protest as well as the AICTE-NEQUIP scheme management in KPA, the ANCSU team told the press conference that a total of Rs 3,71,60,000 was received and fully expensed by the Institute within 2014-17.
"We found that the amount received and the work that has materialised is unsatisfactory," it said.
The Union visited KPA in February, and having received an RTI response (containing 1622 documents) inspected the various infrastructure development claimed under the scheme.
The structures of the building of KPA, despite being one of the oldest institutes in the State, is in a very sorry state, informed the ANCSU team who visited the Institute where they witnessed broken window glasses and lack of proper desks and benches.
Under the scheme, the Institute is supposed to upgrade the machineries, laboratories, libraries, infrastructures, road connectivity etc. However, several loopholes were detected during the visit, it claimed.
Citing information received through the RTI, it informed that under the scheme, Rs 32 lakh was spent on academic support of the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students.
Accordingly, the institute claimed that it paid Rs 1,500-1,800 per day to lecturers for providing extra classes to students. Resource persons were paid Rs 7,500 per day while Rs 30,000 per day was paid to the Principal under the academic support category.
However there was no mention of the duration of extra classes provided, it claimed.
"That is the bewilderment that ANCSU has towards the utilisation of these funds. They have spent Rs 38 lakh for faculty and staff development which they have spent on touring various factories and Institutes," informed Vitso.
"Rs 9 lakh was spent in purchasing 1,055 books in the library. However, during our visit, we found only 198 books in the library," pointed out Imnameren N Jamir, General Secretary, ANCSU.
During the visit, contradictory responses were given on the functioning of machineries. While teaching faculties claimed some machines were functioning, students are said to have claimed the contrary, according to the ANCSU officials.
"What the Institute claims and what the students face does not match. Some documents we feel like they are not genuine. Whatever claims have been made in the documents are not present in the Institute," they added.
