House witnesses uproar over students issue, adjourns for day

Hyderabad, Mar 5 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Assembly was adjourned for the day today amid protest by the Opposition over the government denying of hall tickets to over 8000 junior college students for want of attendance.

Making a statement in the House, Higher Education Minister P Venkateswara said students, who did not have 60 per cent attendance, were asked to pay either Rs 500 as fine or attend special classes during summers to compensate for loss of attendance and appear as private candidates.

Castigating the government for poor infrastructure and inadequate staff in government colleges, the entire opposition demanded that the government allow the students to appear for examinations this year.

Panel Speaker N Manohar adjourned the House to meet again tomorrow after the Minister made it clear that there was no question of compromising on quality of education even the opposition party members staged a noisy protest.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, members of the All India Majlis-E-Itihadul Muslimeen forced adjournment of the House over the issue.

Later, TDP Legislator D Narendrakumar accused the government of neglecting higher education and 'playing with the lives of students'.

CPI(M) Floor Leader N Narasaiah alleged that the government was encouraging private colleges at the cost of government colleges, while CPI Floor Leader Ch Venkata Reddy claimed that the officials were misleading the government and putting the future of the students in jeopardy.

AIMIM Floor Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi wanted to know why the department collected the examination fees if the students concerned did not have the requisite attendance.

The students would not get scholarship from the government if they appeared as private candidates, he lamented.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi Legislator E Rajender alleged that the denial of hall ticket was a ''conspiracy to keep away SC, ST and OBC students from higher education.'' UNI