DUSU polls: AISA-CYSS panel meets minister, gets assurance on AC bus passes

Ananya Panda

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 8

The joint panel of All India Students' Association (AISA) and Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), students' wing of the Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party, is likely to have a clear advantage in the September 12 Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) polls provided the varsity's electors using the public transport believe in the assurance of the Delhi government.

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Saturday said the decision of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) Board allowing students passes in its air-conditioned (AC) buses will be very soon placed before the cabinet for its approval.

The announcement came after the probable candidates of the AISA-CYSS alliance contesting for the central panel of DUSU today called on Gahlot and submitted a memorandum requesting him to expedite the process of making the student passes valid for travelling in AC buses.

On the issue, the Left-AAP's joint delegation said the Delhi Chief Minister has been approached twice who in turn assured the students about a solution and later told the minister concerned to ensure a proposal regarding this is passed for making the student passes valid in AC buses from September 1.

"Students have to wait for long hours in queues as the frequency of green buses is low and their passes are not valid for AC travel in DTC buses. Taking a red bus is too costly for students," said a member of the delegation.

"In the wake of metro fare hikes, the validity of students' bus pass in AC bus will be very helpful for students. We have regularly demanded the applicability of student's bus pass in AC buses and sent delegations. We met the Delhi CM twice this year and were assured that he will look into our demands. We request you to speed up the process so that the students' don't have to face problems," read the memorandum.

Also the chairperson of DTC Board, Gahlot said the board has accepted the long standing demand of the DU students that their students' passes should be allowed in DTC AC buses. The minister said soon the proposal would be placed before the cabinet for its nod.

Gahlot also questioned the logic behind the metro fare hike claiming it was "an unnecessary and completely unjustified financial burden" on the students that the BJP-led central government imposed "without any valid reason" despite the strong objections raised by the Delhi government.

He stated the decision of raising the metro fares was "irresponsible" as students commute by metro to travel long distances to reach respective colleges and universities.

The minister also said he was trying to resolve the issue of shortage of U-special buses for students and assured the DUSU panel of a quick solution.

Meanwhile, the campaign for this year's student elections at the Delhi University (DU) and the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is heading towards their last leg with various student outfits trying to reach out to probable electors with issues they would focus, if elected.

NSUI cries foul afer nomination cacelled 

In JNU, the National Students Union of India (NSUI) condemned the cancellation of nomination of its presidential nominee Vikas Yadav terming it "illegal" and a clear "contempt of High Court orders".

Alleging the cancellation to be a "deliberate attempt to suppress opposition, student rights and victimisation", NSUI's national secretary Saimon Farooqui said, "The RSS-BJP appointed JNU administration continues to shamelessly outdo itself in suppressing student rights and victimising those standing up against its authoritarianism. The illegal cancellation of his nomination is tantamount to blatant contempt of court by the JNU administration, a clear case of vendetta and intimidation of a student for protesting against the political masters of the current administration officials."