CM directs Salem Law College to cut fees

Chennai, Aug 25 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today informed the Assembly that he had directed the management of the private Law College in Salem to reduce fees to the level of that collected in Government Law Colleges.

Responding to D Jayakumar (AIADMK), who referred to the arrest of law college students on the issue and demanded their release, Mr Karunanidhi said he had told the college management that this was the government's stand.

He said the students had accepted the fee structure and then got admitted to the college, but now they were demanding reduction in fees and were launching agitations.

State Law Minister I Periasamy met the students representatives and sought 10 days time to hold talks with the college management along with DPI leaders, Mr Karunanidhi said.

But despite the assurance by the Minister, the students had hit the streets again, leading to their arrest.

The students had been made a scapegoat by vested interests, who had instigated the stir to bring disrepute and bad name to the DMK government, which was in favour of welfare of students, he charged.

Stating that he would not blow up the issue, Mr Karunanidhi said he had sent a message to the college owner Dhanapal asking him to reduce the fees to the level of that paid in government law colleges.

'Whether the management will accept it or not, I don't know. I have told them that this is the government's stand and you should brign down the fees on par with Government law colleges', he said.

If the students were left in the lurch, those who had instigated them to launch the stir should take responsibility, he added.

'I am again appealing to the college management to reduce the fees', the Chief Minister said. The college management had been asking whether other colleges would follow suit. 'But we have to be stubborn in our decision if the issue has to be solved', he added.

Earlier, Mr Periasamy said though the students did not come forward for talks, the government sent its officials urging the students to hold talks with the government.

''I personally met the students and pacified them on August 23.

However, what happened I don't know, they hit the streets again yesterday, damaged windscreens of police vehicles, leading to their arrest,'' the Law Minister said.

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