MNS threatens to drive AHA out of state

Party takes up cause of students promised jobs as air hostesses but instead given petty low paying jobs at the airport

Students of the Air Hostess Academy (AHA) took to the streets - begging for alms - in what they called a Bheek Maango Andolan at Balgandharva Chowk yesterday. Supported by the MNS activists, the students demanded refund of their fees as the institute failed to get its students decent jobs.

Sachin Pawar, vice president of the MNS student wing, told MiD DAY, "The institute has been closed but the management haven't refunded the fee of the students. Although, their tie-up with a foreign university fell through, the institute is still promising jobs with salaries as high as Rs 25,000 a month."

Pawar added that if truth were told, the students are getting jobs for salaries as low as Rs 3,000. "Most of the students are from rural areas and majority of them have taken loans. They are in a desperate condition," he said.

Besides, Pawar added, "Today, the students were called by Raj Thackeray for a meeting in Mumbai. We are supporting them and demanding a full refund of their fees."

Shahana Khan, mother of Sara, a student who had taken admission in April this year, said, "We have paid Rs 1.35 lakh as a year's fee. But only a few lectures, the management suddenly decided to shut down the institute this Diwali."

Another parent Snehlata Lambe, whose son Abhishek was a student of 2007 batch, said, "We took a loan of Rs 1.60 lakh to pay the fee. However, the only job my son got was that of putting tags on baggage at the airport."

Kunal Purab, a student of 2007 batch, said, "My parents had sold their land in Goa and now, with the money gone waste, they are in depression."

Meanwhile, Prashant Kanojiya, President of the MNS student wing, who was part of the delegation that met Raj Thackeray, said, "Raj sahib said that the students must get the refund, but the AHA director did not agree to this refund policy."

He added, "The institute was told if they did not refund then AHA would be out Maharashtra. Today, the students begged on the roads but tomorrow, they will approach senior officials like the mayor, collector, police commissioner." All efforts to contact the director of the institute failed, as she didn't take our calls.