GANGTOK, 20 July: The Sikkim unit of the National Students Union of India [NSUI] has condemned the recent spate of allegations levelled against the Sikkim University Vice Chancellor by the ruling party stemming from the University’s apparent refusal to grant affiliation to the Government Degree College opened at Kyongsa, Gyalshing, recently. NSUI has lashed out against the State Government by focussing on the delay in handing over land acquired for the university at Yangyang in South Sikkim.
About the Kyongsa Degree College issue, the NSUI has demanded that the State release all official communication between it and the university to explain why affiliation was denied.
“Kyongsa College had still not fulfilled the criteria required for affiliation to SU which is why the VC denied them the affiliation at the time. If the college had met these requirements, SU would have given them the affiliation. We would have supported Kyongsa College if their stand was clear and valid but here there is nothing to stand for,” questioned Devi Lal Chettri, NSUI-Sikkim’s national representative.
Addressing a press conference here today, the NSUI-Sikkim president, Binod Chettri, demanded that the government reveal the ‘exact reasons’ why the process of land acquisition was taking so long and why the state government was refraining from being transparent on the entire issue.
“The representatives of the ruling party like the Lok Sabha MP and the Press Advisor to the CM should first clarify the reasons behind the delay before pointing fingers at the Sikkim University. The representatives have just shown one side of the story and are trying to divert the blame from their incompetence to the SU VC,” the NSUI-Sikkim president said.
“The state government has already taken the money from the Centre which should not have been asked in the first place and even after getting the money, they have still not given the land to Sikkim University. Why is the state government keeping silent on this issue and not clarifying the reasons behind the delay. Why is the state government creating a controversy when it is they who have faltered in the entire process? If they cannot give the land why did they take the money,” questioned Mr. Chettri.
The ruling party spokespersons had recently explained that the delay was because of the need to work out an acceptable relief and rehabilitation package for the land oustees. A 300 acre plot has been earmarked for the university at Yangyang.
The NSUI president informed that the VC had received five letters from the State government informing that the possession could be taken of the land. These letters, NSUI details, are dated 24 March 2010, 09 April 2010, 20 April 2010, 03 May 2010 and 07 May 2010.
“Another letter was sent to the VC on 20 June 2010 instructing that the VC and the concerned SDM proceed to Yangang for land verification and check status. The VC had gone to Yangang on the instructions of the state government so on what basis was the allegation of forced entry levelled against the VC?” he questioned.
It was also informed that unlike statements issued by the ruling party spokespersons, Sikkim University has 92 local students among its 229 students and that there were three local teachers in the faculty.
“The spokespersons should have first confirmed their allegations. The employment notice for faculty was given in the local cable and also in different newspapers and three faculty members were chosen through this process as only they met the criteria required for a teacher at SU. So how can these spokespersons speak about local and non local employed at SU. They should confirm facts before speaking like this as they are actually demoralizing the local students,” stated the NSUI, president.
The NSUI has now challenged the State Government to participate in a state-level debate the organisation plans to organise soon regarding student related issues where students, college authorities and Sikkim University representatives will be invited to speak.
About the Kyongsa Degree College issue, the NSUI has demanded that the State release all official communication between it and the university to explain why affiliation was denied.
“Kyongsa College had still not fulfilled the criteria required for affiliation to SU which is why the VC denied them the affiliation at the time. If the college had met these requirements, SU would have given them the affiliation. We would have supported Kyongsa College if their stand was clear and valid but here there is nothing to stand for,” questioned Devi Lal Chettri, NSUI-Sikkim’s national representative.
Addressing a press conference here today, the NSUI-Sikkim president, Binod Chettri, demanded that the government reveal the ‘exact reasons’ why the process of land acquisition was taking so long and why the state government was refraining from being transparent on the entire issue.
“The representatives of the ruling party like the Lok Sabha MP and the Press Advisor to the CM should first clarify the reasons behind the delay before pointing fingers at the Sikkim University. The representatives have just shown one side of the story and are trying to divert the blame from their incompetence to the SU VC,” the NSUI-Sikkim president said.
“The state government has already taken the money from the Centre which should not have been asked in the first place and even after getting the money, they have still not given the land to Sikkim University. Why is the state government keeping silent on this issue and not clarifying the reasons behind the delay. Why is the state government creating a controversy when it is they who have faltered in the entire process? If they cannot give the land why did they take the money,” questioned Mr. Chettri.
The ruling party spokespersons had recently explained that the delay was because of the need to work out an acceptable relief and rehabilitation package for the land oustees. A 300 acre plot has been earmarked for the university at Yangyang.
The NSUI president informed that the VC had received five letters from the State government informing that the possession could be taken of the land. These letters, NSUI details, are dated 24 March 2010, 09 April 2010, 20 April 2010, 03 May 2010 and 07 May 2010.
“Another letter was sent to the VC on 20 June 2010 instructing that the VC and the concerned SDM proceed to Yangang for land verification and check status. The VC had gone to Yangang on the instructions of the state government so on what basis was the allegation of forced entry levelled against the VC?” he questioned.
It was also informed that unlike statements issued by the ruling party spokespersons, Sikkim University has 92 local students among its 229 students and that there were three local teachers in the faculty.
“The spokespersons should have first confirmed their allegations. The employment notice for faculty was given in the local cable and also in different newspapers and three faculty members were chosen through this process as only they met the criteria required for a teacher at SU. So how can these spokespersons speak about local and non local employed at SU. They should confirm facts before speaking like this as they are actually demoralizing the local students,” stated the NSUI, president.
The NSUI has now challenged the State Government to participate in a state-level debate the organisation plans to organise soon regarding student related issues where students, college authorities and Sikkim University representatives will be invited to speak.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Readers are invited to comment on, criticise, run down, even appreciate if they like something in this blog. Comments carrying abusive/ indecorous language and personal attacks, except when against the people working on this blog, will be deleted. It will be exciting for all to enjoy some earnest debates on this blog...