GUWAHATI, May 16 - Alleging gross administrative failure and demanding refund of the fees exorbitantly charged without providing the facilities, students of the National Law University, Assam, have decided to continue their indefinite strike suspending all the classes for an indefinite period.
A five-member committee of the agitating students today went to meet the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, who is also the Chancellor of the University. However, the students were not given a confirmed date for a meeting between the students and the Chancellor for addressing their grievances.
�Though the University administration has issued notice to resume classes from tomorrow, the majority of students would boycott the classes,� said Subham Das, a member of the students� committee.
The students are agitated over the �lack of concern� shown by the University authorities despite the peaceful appeals over the high fees charged in lieu of the services that have never been given to them. Another major demand of the students has been speedy construction of its permanent campus at Amingaon. The university is currently operating from a temporary campus at Ulubari.
The National Law University, Assam, was established by the Government of Assam by way of enactment of the National Law School and Judicial Academy Assam Act 2009 and is part of the national circuit of premiere law universities. The students of this premiere institution are being charged hefty amounts for the facilities, although both the Central and the State governments have contributed more than Rs 300 crore towards the construction of a permanent campus.
�In the temporary campus, facilities are both inadequate and in pathetic condition. Even after five years of existence, the university�s permanent campus at Amingaon is not even halfway to completion.�
�The services have been dismal against the high fee charged, which is Rs 2,14,000 for the first year and thereafter Rs 1,76,000 per annum. The requests for refund or adjustment of the fee amounts has not been addressed by the university authorities. The authorities have assured the representation of students before the relevant administrative bodies, but were not permitted to present their case before the authorities concerned,� alleged the students in a press communiqu�.
The students further demanded an audience with the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court in an open-house discussion to apprise him of the situation as well as to seek relief from the highest authority concerned.
