Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 15: Up in arms against six times hike in the university transportation fee, students of Central University of Jammu today strongly protested against the CUJ administration and boycotted their classes.
The protesting students, both males and females, raised slogans against the university administration and demanded immediate withdrawal of the decision of increasing bus fee. Amidst raising of slogans, they also took out a procession on the campus besides staging a dharna in front of the Vice-chancellor’s Secretariat at the administration block.
Pertinent to mention that that in the fee structure of CUJ, the bus fare was Rs 1000 per semester, which has been suddenly raised to Rs 1000 per month in the mid of the session. “The university works for 5 days a week, which means that students will just attend the university for 22 days approximately. Charging Rs 1000 from students for 22 days sounds too unfair,” protesters said.
After boycotting their classes this morning, the agitated students assembled near the Administration block and then took a round of the campus and reassembled in front of the Vice-Chancellor’s office. Raising slogans, they were asking the CUJ administration to be fair, flexible and transparent.
As the students continued their protest dharna at the administration block, Vice-Chancellor Prof Ashok Aima came out to pacify the protesters and offered negotiations for finding out solution of the problem. He asked the students to form a council for negotiations with Dean Students Welfare Deepak Pathania and also announced that the order on bus fee hike would be kept in abeyance till the end of current month. The Vice-Chancellor explained that there was no provision of grants for transportation and hence the university had no option other than to increasing the bus fee.
Following the Vice-Chancellor’s announcement for keeping the order on bus fee hike in abeyance, the protesting students also suspended their agitation but reiterated that fee hike would not be allowed at any cost, particularly in mid of the session.
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