The Madras High Court bench in Madurai has admitted a petition by a new engineering college set up by Union Minister M K Alagiri accusing Tamil Nadu Government of discrimination and seeking a direction to it to include it among institutions authorised to admit students for 2011-12.
Admitting the petition filed by the M K Alagiri Educational Trust at Sivarakottai near here, Justice S.Manikumar of Madurai bench last evening directed the Special Government Pleader to take notice on behalf of the Higher Education Secretary, the Director of Technical Education and the Anna University of Technology (AUT) and posted the matter for hearing on August 1.
The petition alleged that the government authorities were intentionally refusing permission for the college because Mr. Alagiri, a senior DMK leader, was one of the trustees.
It submitted that the All India Council for Technical Education had given permission to begin admissions from 2011-12 after due inspection by an expert team on May 18.
An AUT team pointed out three defects during the inspection on July 22 which included shortage of 175 books in a library, location of a cafeteria near class room and non-availability of transport.
The defects which were “trivial” in nature were pointed out with ulterior motive to defer the college’s request, it alleged.
Yet the college had rectified them, it said.
Though as of today there was no deficiency or infirmity for the petitioner to make admissions, the AUT was delaying the request, the petition alleged.
