Students call off dharna temporarily

The students of Forest College and Reseach Institute in Mettupalayam, near here, today temporarily called off their 12-day old dharna inside the college campus seeking preference to them in recruitment for rangers' post, following the assurance by two senior ministers to take the issue to the knowledge of Chief minister Jayalalithaa.
Some students' representatives had gone to Chennai to seek an audience with Jayalalithaa and request her to find a solution to the issue and during the course, met Agriculture and Forest ministers, a student leader said.
Earlier, they had discussed the issue with secretaries of the departments concerned and based on which they went to Chennai, the Phd student, who did not want him to be quoted, said.

The 12-day old dharna was called off temporarily, following the assurance from the ministers, he said.
Since the college was closed indefinitely and hostel facilities not available till then, all the students would go to their residences till the institute reopens, he said.
An official in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, with which the institute is affiliated, when contacted, said the university has not not received any information about the withdrawal of the strike.
The students, including 42 girls, were on dharna inside the college campus since July 23 to press for their various demands.