IIT-Roorkee hikes fee for outsiders attending yoga sessions

ROORKEE: A number of residents are enraged at officials of Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT-R) for “posing unnecessary restrictions” on people from outside the campus attending yoga sessions which were held in the Yoga Bhawan inside the campus for many years.A nominal fee of Rs 200 was earlier charged for the yoga sessions but it has now suddenly been increased to Rs 3,000 per month.Locals, especially ladies, who regularly attended the session say that at a time when practice of yoga is picking up across the country and the Modi government is also promoting it, the attitude of IIT officials in increasing the fees of the sessions was totally unjustified.
In a circular issued on June 30, the institute instructed its sports staff to collect revised fee from outsiders for using the facilities.

“I used to go to Saraswati Mandir for a yoga session. Now, they are demanding Rs 3,000 per month. I can’t pay this much. When I expressed my inability to pay this much amount, the authorities simply shut doors on me,” said 45-year-old Anju Saini.

On the other hand, the authorities believe that the infrastructure of the institute should only be used by institute’s students, faculty and staff.

But, the town’s civil administration does not have the same opinion about the outsiders. “The institute is a part of local municipal system and a municipal councilor is elected from the ward of institute then how can authorities address us as an outsider?”Municipal councilor Sushil Yadav said.When TOI told the authorities about the situation of outsiders they said they’ll reconsider the proposed changes. “We will surely reconsider and solve the problem of outsiders in feasible manner soon,” said Professor D K Nauriyal, dean of students’ welfare.