[caption id="attachment_252140" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
A group of students are seen protesting outside the Directorate of Higher and Technical Education office in Kohima on Friday. [/caption]
Our Correspondent
Kohima, May 31 (EMN): Members of All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) organised a peaceful ‘dharna’ outside the Directorate of Technical Education office on Friday, following the department’s failure to respond to queries and demands made by the union regarding alleged ‘misappropriations of scholarship funds.’
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had in its report of the year ending March 31, 2017 cited misappropriation of INR 1.3 crore by the department concerned, following which ANCSU had written to the director of Higher and Technical Education on Sep. 22, 2018 questioning the misuse of fund.
Subsequently, on Oct. 1, 2018, the department wrote back to the union stating that the amount had “already been fully recovered by depositing back to government account.”
However, an RTI reply dated May 6, 2019—made available to the media—showed no record/document found” to queries by the union. The ANCSU had sought details of officials and staff of the department involved in ‘misappropriations of fund,’ in the form of loan.
Against this backdrop, ANCSU had demanded the director to resign recently. The director’s ‘failure’ to respond to this demand had prompted the students to organise the peaceful protest on Friday.
Addressing the crowd, the president of ANCSU Katho P Awomi, said that the fund (missing funds as reported by CAG) was “granted as loans to the officials” in the department.
He went on to say that director concerned is “equally responsible” for failing to provide the union with the details of persons involved in the misappropriation. ANCSU wilal not go “against” the department, particularly the director if he is honest, Awomi added.
“Until and unless he brings out the truth, there will be worse things coming towards the Higher and Technical Education,” he threatened.
Femina Miss India Nagaland 2018, Roupfüzhano Whiso also addressed the crowd. She said that the issue was not something new but simply a case of the seniors choosing to ignore the plight of students.
She urged the students to come forward and fight for what is rightfully theirs.
The protest was attended by students from various colleges including Kohima College, Sazolie College, Mount Olive College and Government Polytechnic College. For now, it has been called off.
