SFI urges Tirunelveli Collector to inaugurate new buildings of Maanur Government College
In a petition submitted to the Collector during the weekly grievances redressal meeting on Monday, SFI office-bearers said 288 students in five undergraduate courses in Tamil, English, Commerce, Computer Science and Mathematics studied in Government Arts and Science College, Maanur, following the announcement made by the Chief Minister in 2021. The college started functioning from 2022.
As a temporary arrangement, sheds were erected on the campus of Mela Pillaiyaarkulam Panchayat Union Primary School to accommodate the students even as construction of the college buildings began at Madhavakurichi on Tirunelveli–Sankarankovil Highway.
'Even though construction of the buildings is almost over, there is no sign of shifting of the college from Mela Pillaiyarkulam to Madhavakurichi by formally inaugurating the buildings. More than 90% of the students are from poor families with the breadwinners working as farmhands or manual labourers. While the classroom sheds do not serve the purpose of teaching and learning, reaching this temporary college premises at Mela Pillaiyarkulam everyday is difficult for them. If the college buildings are inaugurated, it will be easy for the students to reach the permanent campus at Madhavakurichi. Hence, the Collector should take steps for early inauguration of the college buildings there,' said the SFI members.
A group of residents from Sivagamipuram near Paappaakudi, who came to the Collectorate with empty pots, submitted a petition to the Collector seeking roads, drainage channel, community hall and drinking water.
The petitioners, all from Arunthathiyar community, said none of the basic infrastructure had been created in their 100-year-old hamlet despite several petitions submitted with officials. Even though a community hall was built 20 years ago in Sivagamipuram, there was no drinking water and power connection and, hence, no villager was ready to hire tes hall for conducting functions. Consequently, the community hall was about to crumble due to zero maintenance.
'While the nearby Amarnath Nagar, housing intermediate caste residents, has all facilities, basic infrastructure is being denied to our hamlet. Hence, the district administration should sanction sufficient funds for constructing a new community hall and drainage channel, lay new roads and provide us drinking water,' the petitioners said.
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