Pettigrew college students on the war path, to sue Principal
Source: The Sangai Express / Addie Chiphang

Ukhrul, June 08 2011: With the deadline of June 4 expiring, the Students' Union of Pettigrew College (SUPC) has closed down the office of the college and a sit-in protest has started at Maizailung Taxi stand near the college gate adjacent to FCI godown since June 6 .

The agitation in this lone Government college of the district began from May 25 .

Taking strong exception to the case of a student of BA II year having to go back without writing the exam paper in history as no question paper had arrived at the college, the students union said that they will sue the Principal-in-charge as it was his duty to requisition the same from Manipur University.

Asserting that the students of the college have been coping with the lack of basic infrastructure for the last many years, more so during the time of the current Principal, the students locked up the office of Principal on May 25 .

Talking to The Sangai Express, the SUPC members led by its general secretary MK Miya said that though the plight of the students has been brought to the notice of the authority concerned including the Education Minister, all their submissions have fallen on deaf ears.

Govt officials at Pettigrew college to take stock on May 31

Incidentally Pettigrew College is not the only college in Ukhrul district but is also one of the oldest institutions in the State.

Though some officials from the Education Department visited the college recently, they could not do anything to rectify the situation, said the SPUC members.

As of now SUPC in coordination with other student organizations, have resolved to intensify their agitation and not to cow down under any treats whatsoever until and unless the Principal-in-charge Mashun Stone is transferred.

The students said that most of the anomalies in the college are due to the sheer incompetency and corrput practices of the Principal-in-charge.

Trashing the clarifications given by the Principal-in-charge earleir, the students said that it was nothing but a desperate attempt to cover up his misdeeds and added that more skeletons will be disclosed.

SUPC also produced documents to substantiate their allegations and a bunch of file was also given to this correspondent for further reference.

Allegations of financial misappropriation against the Principal-in-charge include deducting from the salaries of guest lecturers amounting to Rs 8000 from 8 lecturers in the month of September to October 2010, another Rs 4000 from two lecturers L Binashakhi Devi Irenbam of Nambol and L Ruhini Kumar Singh Irenbam ( Physics and Maths) and Rs 16,000 in the month of November 2010 and another Rs 4000 from Ch Chanchal of Keishampat Aheibam Leikai of Botany Department.

Due to the high-handedness and corrupt practices of the Principal-in-charge, three lecturers have resigned from the collage the students leaders charged, and identified them as Ch Chanchal of Botany Department, L Raghumani Singh (Physics Department) of Awangjiri Nambol and L Binashakhi Devi Irenbam of Physics Department.

Miya further said that a BA 2nd year history student, whose question paper failed to come to the college on the examination day was purely the fault of the Principal-in-charge as it is his responsibility to requisition the question from Manipur University.

The Principal-in-charge will be sued in the Court, the student leader informed.

The grievances of the SUPC include, failure in implementing UGC sponsored programmes,denial of access to library, no power supply for the last eight months, shortage of water supply for seven months, imposition of exorbitant fees by hiking the fees way above the university structure.

For a student in PU Arts, the fee of Rs 500 has been hiked to Rs 1050; Rs 1250 from Rs 700 for BA General ; Rs 1600 from Rs 800 for BA Hons; Rs 950 hiked to Rs 1850 for BSc, Rs 1050 hiked to Rs 2050 for BSc Hons, deduction of pay from guest lecturers, dereliction of duties and failure in checking staff attendance, absence of science equipment and materials for the science lab etc.