The State government on Friday issued an appeal to students of the Forest College and Research Institute in Mettupalayam of Coimbatore district to give up their agitation and resolve their problem through talks with the District Collector.
The students of the college, which fell under the jurisdiction of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, were on strike since November 20. They were demanding 100 per cent reservation in the posts of foresters and forest rangers of the State Forests department for those who held under graduate and post graduate degrees in forestry.
An official release stated that when consulted with the Collector and the University Vice-Chancellor, what came to be known was that a section of the students was causing damage to the college properties and resorting to demonstration and road roko at the behest of outsiders.
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The Public Services Commission, when approached for opinion, was of the view that preference could not be shown to any specific course and different graduate holders were eligible. Preference to those who did the forestry course would be against the existing norms and natural justice. The Commission’s opinion was under the consideration of the government.