Those agitating against unlawful collection of fees from backward class students threaten to include Anna Hazare in campaign, prompting authorities to agree to book errant colleges
Those agitating against unlawful collection of fees from backward class students threaten to include Anna Hazare in campaign, prompting authorities to agree to book errant colleges
IT was probably the mention of the new magic word -- Anna Hazare -- that spurred the social welfare department (SWD) into action. After over four months of agitation by students, the SWD has finally agreed to take action against errant colleges that unlawfully collect fees from backward caste students. 
Getting assertive: Students belonging to backward class from various
colleges barge into the social welfare official department demanding
action against ILS Law college yesterday. Pic/Jignesh Mistry
A group of students belonging to the backward classes were paying visits to the office of the SWD demanding that action be taken against colleges which collect fees illegally from them. Students contend that according to a state government resolution this is a criminal offence and cases be filed against colleges.
But the authorities turned a deaf ear to their complaints. Fed up of the constant dilly-dallying in taking action, students met officials on Monday and dropped the 'Anna' bomb. Students, who were accompanied by members of Hazare's group, threatened to include Hazare in the campaign if immediate action was not taken against colleges.
Siddharth Sharma, expelled student of ILS Law College who led the student's delegation, demanded that a criminal complaint be filed against his former college for allegedly collecting fees illegally from backward class students. Besides him, students from various colleges in the city including top institutes like DY Patil Dental College, PVG-College of Engineering, Nowrosjee Wadia College were present with receipts of fees paid, bonds signed to prove that colleges were collecting fees from them.
According to state government rules, colleges are not allowed to charge any form of fee be it tuition or examination or student activity fee from weaker section students such as scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, and other backward caste, among others, for studying in vocational courses such as engineering or MBA or medicine. The state government refunds the fees of these students to the colleges. But despite the law, many colleges are collecting fees from such students, said Sharma. Students said that despite several representations, officials of SWD refused to entertain them.
"In fact I had gone on an indefinite hunger strike last month and S B Bhandare, divisional social welfare officer, had issued orders to file criminal complaint against ILS Law College but no one implemented it," said Sharma.
A member of Anna's group who visited the SWD along with the students asked the officials to take immediate action, unless the latter wanted the activists to join and aggravate the fight.
Orders issued
Students have some reason to celebrate as Bhandare ordered his staff members to take action immediately against ILS Law College or face inquiry themselves.
"I had issued orders earlier but no police case was filed. If the case isn't filed, then I will order an inquiry into insubordination of officials. Besides that, students complained that many colleges had not issued hall tickets as fees had not been paid. We are instructing all colleges to let students write exams," said Bhandare.
He also added that he is ordering an inquiry into all complaints of fees or bonds taken by colleges from students. "We will be doing a random survey of 50 colleges and this will be the biggest inquiry so far by our department. This will start in two days," said Bhandare.
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