Resentment Brews In NIT-Rourkela Over Fee Structure

ROURKELA: Resentment sparked among students of National Institute of Technology(NIT), Rourkela, over enhancement in fee structure.

The NIT authorities have called a high-level meeting on Friday to sort out the issue.

The agitating students, on the other hand, have kept a close watch on the development and will chalk out their strategies after the decision of NIT authorities.

Sources said, the fee structure of NIT has been increased significantly in last five years.

This year, the annual fee structure, which was Rs. 70,000 last year, has gone up to as high as Rs. 1,25,000. The tuition fees have been increased by the human resource development ministry whereas the establishment fee and hostel fees are the jurisdictions of the local management.

The students of NIT-Rourkela, however, have no issue over the rise of the fees by the central government. But, there has been a demand of Rs. 5,000 from each student, on account of mess charges, besides their food charges, which was only Rs. 2,500 last year.

Hundreds of students had staged a protest in front of NIT administrative office on Wednesday and demanded the withdrawal of the same.

“We were told that these amounts had been increased as expenditure has increased on account of the increase of security staffs and provision of hot water systems in hostels,” said a NIT student.

NIT authorities also agreed that they are claiming the extra amount of Rs. 2,500 from each student on mess account instead of the establishment.

“Since increasing the fees on establishment account can be made only after board approval and the board of NIT Rourkela being non-functional since last one year, it has been decided to collect this amount on mess charges at the moment,” said B.B.Biswal, who is director-in-charge of NIT Rourkela.