Intensifying their agitation, the students of the vocational courses of the National Institute of Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD) started a hunger-strike at the campus on Monday. Demanding immediate payment of pocket money and distribution of promised laptops these students are on warpath from last few days.
On Monday eight students sat on relay hunger strike. The students also locked the main gate of the institute for some time in morning. The agitated members of the school of the Training Centre for Adult Blind (TCAB) who are on strike from February 13, threatened that if their demands are not accepted in next two days than they will intensify their agitation further and can start indefinite hunger strike. We are now determined to take our agitation to higher level. All 150 of us have lost faith in the administration and we are determined to continue till both of our demands are accepted,’’ said one of a student enrolled in office management course.
There is a problem of understanding. It appears that the students are under influence of people who are not interested in the welfare of the institute. The institute is in touch with the ministry of skill development and we hope the matter would be sorted out soon”, said a senior official from the institute.
The students are agitated that they are getting a monthly pocket money of only Rs 250 though the ministry has declared an amount of Rs 2500 per month. They are also annoyed at delay in distribution of laptops. The officials of the institute however maintain that the order for 274 laptops has been placed by the institute and the budget for payment for the pocket money from the skill development ministry is yet to arrive.