IMPHAL, January 30: The Government Polytechnic Students’ Union Takyel today boycotted classes and the principal of the institute against the authorities’ failure to meet their demands.
The student volunteers burned down school furniture including desks and benches commencing their agitation and later shut down the main gate of the institute stopping anyone from entering the campus.
Speaking to media persons, the general secretary of the students’ union Asem Prem Meitei said that representatives of the students had met the concerned minister of Higher and Technical Education Moirangthem Okendro on January 27 during which the minister had assured to meet their demands after proper consultation with the concerned commissioner.
He said the recent earthquake had damaged the main academic block of the union rendering it useless. Since then the institute has been facing acute shortage of classrooms and laboratories affecting normal classes, and temporary arrangements were made for classrooms, he added.
However, the arrangement made by the institute’s authorities is not conducive for the smooth functioning of the classes, he said, and added that in the interest of the institute the union had demanded redressal of the problems at the earliest.
The demands had included for the government to provide the class rooms of the polytechnic which are being occupied by the NIT and MIT be restored to the polytechnic, adequate supply of water and electricity and proper toilet facilities, he said.
Other demands also included rejuvenation of both the boys and girls hostels and the library to be upgraded to modern standard, he added.
He asserted said that on Monday the Manipur Institute of Technology and National Institute of Technology will be joining in their agitation.