The AIADMK government’s failure to introduce decentralised counselling in different cities has come as a huge disappointment to the parents, teachers and aspiring engineers who are forced to travel all the way to Chennai for it and put up with the accompanying inconveniences.
As counselling for 1,50,000 seats in 550 engineering colleges is done under the single window system at Anna University presently, over 5,000 people queue up to attend it every day to meet the 35 days deadline set for its completion.
“It is an ordeal to get to the centre as one has to ensure that the train or bus tickets are booked well in advance and accommodation is reserved,” says Mr K. Padmanabhan, the father of a student who appeared for counselling last year.
Former vice chancellor, Dr E Balagurusamy, had in 2004, during the previous AIADMK regime, established counselling centres for engineering students in Tiruchy, Tirunelveli, Madurai and Coimbatore to avoid these troubles, but things returned to the way they were soon after the DMK came to power.
Speaking to the Deccan Chronicle, Dr Balagurusamy said counselling centres in multi cities were a blessing because students from Kanyakumari or Tuticorin needed to travel only upto Tirunelveli as against 600 kms to Chennai.
Although it was hoped Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa would opt for multi- city counselling centers, nothing has come of it so far, he noted.