The All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) has announced a phase-wise agitation, including a “Black Friday” protest, over the alleged delay in granting written approval for a 100-bed girls’ hostel at Kohima Science College (Autonomous), Jotsoma.
As part of the first phase of agitation, the union said all affiliated colleges will hoist black flags on their campuses on June 19, describing the move as a symbolic protest against what it termed continued administrative delay.
The protest stems from the delay in final written approval for the project despite funds already being sanctioned under the Corporate Social Responsibility initiative of REC Limited.
The project has a sanctioned amount of Rs 3,52,68,650, of which the first instalment of Rs 1,05,80,595 was released on April 12, 2023.
ANCSU leaders said the 20-day ultimatum issued to the government on May 26 had expired without resolution.
They claimed that while the concerned department has assured that the sanctioned funds will not lapse and will be used exclusively for the hostel construction, the file is still awaiting written approval from the Chief Minister’s Office, as the chief minister also holds the finance portfolio.
The student body further claimed that despite repeated follow-ups, the approval process remains pending, with officials citing the need for formal clearance from the chief minister.
Describing the situation as “frustrating,” the union said it had been informed that the department had sought an additional week to resolve the matter.
ANCSU warned that failure to issue the written approval soon would trigger a wider and coordinated student movement across the state.
The union said the protest is intended to highlight what it described as the “denial of rights and dignity of Naga students,” adding that students were being forced to resort to agitation for basic educational infrastructure.
