Staff Reporter
Lands belonging to Arignar Anna College encroached upon
SALEM: A Satyagraha March will be taken out in Attur on August 15 urging the State Government to remove encroachments on the lands belonging to Arignar Anna Government Arts College.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, United Farmers Association president C. Vaiyapuri said that a few persons had encroached upon about 40 acres of the college lands.
Despite repeated representations, the revenue officials were yet to initiate any concrete steps to remove the encroachments.
Additional buildings
The college required lands for the construction of additional buildings and to establish various facilities. It would provide opportunities for a large number of students from rural areas to pursue higher education.
Students from various rural pockets in Attur, Vazhapadi and Gengavalli taluks in Salem district and those from the border districts of Vilupuram and Perambalur were studying in the college, he said.
Conduct survey
Mr. Vaiyapuri urged the Government to remove the encroachments immediately.
The officials should conduct a survey and mark the boundary of the lands belonging to the college.
The lands should be fenced, he added.
Parents, students and members of voluntary organisations, trade bodies and political parties would participate in the march, which would begin at Kattukottai and conclude at Attur town, he said.
Participants of the march would also urge the Government to fill up all the teaching vacancies in the college.
More than 1,800 students were studying in the college. But it had just eight faculty members, Mr. Vaiyapuri added.
Lack of adequate number of classrooms and other facilities were also badly affecting the students.
Infrastructure
All the classrooms remained congested. He appealed to the Government to create necessary infrastructure to carry out the academic activities effectively.
Secretary S. Chakravarthi, treasurer R. Sankaraiah and Talavasal Consumer Vigilance Council secretary S. Chandrasekar were present.
