SFI seeks hike in scholarship

​Hyderabad: Demanding hike in mess charges, cosmetic charges, scholarships, own buildings for government hostels, improvement in basic facilities in hostels and release of pending scholarships and fee reimbursement dues, Student Federation of India (SFI) activists held a ‘Mahadharna’ at Indira Park and attempted to take out a rally towards secretariat.

A number of intellectuals who addressed the ‘Mahadharna’ questioned the government as to why it was not addressing the genuine problems raised by the SFI. The government, which claimed that it was a revenue surplus State should not have problem to pay the reimbursement dues and improve the basic facilities in hostels.

The speakers said the TRS had promised to introduce KG to PG free education and distribution of land for Dalits. Later scores of SFI activists, shouting slogans marched towards the Secretariat. The police blocked the roads in a bid to stop them and in the melee that followed, some of the top leaders managed to break the cordon and continue their march towards Secretariat.

DCP Central Zone V B Kamalasan Reddy, who reached Indira Park, tried to pacify the leaders, but as they did not relent, the police began arresting some of them. The students hurled sticks at the police. At this point the policemen charged at them and dispersed them.

However, a breakaway group managed to reach the Secretariat where some of them attempted to barge in. The security personnel foiled their attempt and took SFI State president Kota Ramesh and others into custody.