Members of the Students Federation of India (SFI) staged a protest in Haveri on Thursday against the delay in the construction of a government law college building in the district.

Protestors held posters and raised slogans against the slow pace of work. They raised slogans against the in-charge Minister and local legislators.

They demanded that the government start classes from this academic year itself.

“Following protests by SFI for years, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sanctioned a government law college in the last budget. But work on starting the college has not started. The construction of the campus started in Nelogal Hill but it is progressing slowly. At the same time, the State government did not take any steps to start classes in rented premises,” SFI district president Basavaraj S. said.

“The government that is quick to allow private colleges is slow to start government institutions. Haveri was carved out as a district 27 years ago, but it has only one law college, that too, the private law college in Ranebennur,” he said.

“Students from other taluks and poor students from the district are deprived of legal education. They are forced to go to far-off places for admissions to government law colleges. We demand that the college be started this year and that the pace of construction be speeded up,” he said.

SFI district leaders Arun Kumar Nagawat, Chaitra Koravar Krishna Naik, Dhanush Doddamani, Panchakshari M. Kodihala, Sandeep G. Halemane and others were present.