Minister to facilitate reopening of Jaffna campus

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 February 2006, 12:16 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Minister of Education, Mr.Susil Premajayanth, who met with a delegation of Deans of the Jaffna University led by its Vice Chancellor Professor Mr. C.Mohanathas during the weekend has assured the delegation that he will make every effort to bring normalcy to the areas surrounding the Jaffna Campus enabling the Jaffna Campus to reopen within two weeks, University sources said. The delegation also handed over a memorandum from the Jaffna University Students which outlined the problems faced by the students to the Minister.

The minister had told the university delegation to inform the students that he would meet commanders of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna shortly when the delegation raised objections related to the arbitrary arrests, interrogation of undergraduates and search operation in their houses, sources said.

The Jaffna University is closed for more than one and a half months due to the boycott of classes by undergraduates protesting against the presence of soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army in large number in the surroundings of the university and fearing for their lives.

The university delegation brought to the notice of the minister that hostel facilities are now provided for only 500 students and appealed for more funds to increase the hostel facilities. According to varsity delegation, the minister had agreed to increase allocation from 25 million rupees to 50 million rupees immediately for the maintenance of the university. The minister issued the necessary directives to officers concerned promptly, varsity sources said.

Mr.Susil Premajayanth said the Jaffna University would be given power to recruit more employees to non-academic service to alleviate existing shortage for such staff, sources said.

The minister had promised that he would visit Jaffna shortly to meet undergraduates, varsity sources said.