Students of Sri Chaitanya Junior College poured out their woes in the hostel as well as in the classrooms to the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) and urged the panel to create a child-friendly atmosphere on the campus.
The students of Shanta Bhavan, Nidamanuru, alleged that the college management was conducting classes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. with just 90 minutes break.
Commission members V. Krishna Kumar and K. Appa Rao and District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) Ch. Vijay Kumar, who inspected the dormitories, classrooms and the toilets on Friday, expressed anger over the congestion in the hostel and classrooms. They found that no psychiatrist was appointed to provide counselling for the students in the institution.
Inmates of the college complained that 10 students were accommodated in each hostel room, with two toilets and a bulb. There was no proper ventilation, fans and other infrastructure in the hostel rooms.
The commission members and the DCPO directed principal Lakshmi Prasad to appoint a psychiatrist and a yoga teacher, arrange menu at dining hall, display emergency phone numbers and complaints box on the campus immediately.
“The college management is collecting ₹1.50 lakh from each hosteller, which includes air-conditioned accommodation, sports and other facilities. But again the college staff are collecting ₹700 for water per head and there are no sports activities at all,” a student alleged.
“We are suffering due to insufficient and poor quality food. Though our parents have questioned the poor facilities, there has been no response from the management,” another first year student complained.
Many students complained that the management was harassing them when their parents visited the college and that the pocket money (₹10,000 deposited by their parents) was being withdrawn by the management without their knowledge.
“We are facing health problems due to less sleep and insufficient diet. As examinations are nearing, the college hours will be increased from this month-end and the staff will not allow our parents to see us. We are experiencing a prison-like situation here,” the students said and urged the commission members to ensure that facilities on the campus were improved.
College stand
Chaitanya College campus assistant general manager Lakshmi Srinivas said that though the management was providing all facilities in the hostel rooms, the students were damaging them. He clarified that the college management was taking proper care of the students.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Krishna Kumar said the students brought many problems to their notice and the commission would take steps to solve the issues.
