Commotion prevailed at Madurai Kamaraj University’s VOC Hostel for research scholars on Friday as two hostel committee members were locked up for nearly five hours over the closure of mess.
According to research scholars, the hostel mess has not been functioning for the past three months. On Friday, the inmates staged a sit-in protest demanding the opening of the mess.
Hostel committee members S. Nagarathinam and D. Aravind, who held talks with the research scholars, were locked inside the hostel from 12 p.m. to 5.30 p.m by the inmates. They were released following the intervention of the police.
“The administration has shut down the mess citing non-payment of arrears. A major portion of the outstanding amount has to be settled by those who have left the university,” said J. Arun, an inmate.
“Some of the research scholars staying at the hostel are yet to get fellowship grants of nearly Rs. 1.7 lakh each. Unless they give us our fellowship grants, it would be difficult for us to clear our dues,” he added.
Besides, the inmates alleged that there was no proper water supply in the hostel. They complained that they had to fetch water for drinking and utility from other hostels.
Mr. Nagarathinam told The Hindu that there was water shortage on the campus and water supply was not interrupted wantonly as alleged by the inmates.
“The mess account arrears in VOC Hostel amounts to nearly Rs 25 lakh. Even inmates who get fellowship grants from the UGC directly have not settled their arrears,” he said.
Meanwhile, a press statement from the Registrar, N. Rajasekar, said that the VOC Hostel would remain indefinitely closed from Friday and that all inmates had been instructed to vacate within 24 hours.
The hostel has around 150 inmates.
