Students gherao Utkal University VC office over non-fulfillment of demands

BHUBANESWAR: Students of Utkal University on Monday staged protest dharna in front of university administrative block and gheraoed vice chancellor’s office in the block seeking fulfilling of 10 point charter of demands including clearing encroachment from the campus.
Hundreds of students tried to barge into the administrative block to meet vice chancellor Soumendra Mohan PatnaikSoumendra Mohan Patnaik, but the police did not allow them to enter.They had a faceoff with the police for a few minutes. Later Bhubaneswar DCP Anup Kumar Sahoo pacified the irate students.
The students sat on dharna in front of the administrative block asking for reply from the VC about fulfillment of their demands. Some of the students joined the protest leaving internal examinations. Examination controller of the university Sharat Kumar Majhi said concerned departments can conduct the internal examinations again for these students.
One of the major demands was eviction of encroachment from university campus. Around 30 acres of land out of approximately 400 acres are under the clutches of encroachers. An illegal slum has come up inside the campus due to lack of boundary wall. The students demanded eviction of the slum to maintain security in the campus.
They also expressed concern for wrong entry into the university from Vani Vihar square side. “Sometimes students meet with accident due to entering university from wrong side. Main gate should be shifted to Acharya Vihar side,” said Biswajit Kundu, a student.
Alisa Kumari Nahak, another student, said the university has constructed new buildings, but these are still lying unused. “Library, language block, instrumentation centre, two hostels for girls and boys and other buildings should be used in a meaningful way for the betterment of students,” she added.
Other demands were timely holding of examinations and result publication, reduction in hostel and entrance fees, hoisting of gigantic tricolor flag in the university, repairing of defunct CCTV cameras, hostel issues including available drinking water and better quality meal in hostels, proper use of ambulance and restriction in entering of outsiders into the campus.
Vice chancellor Patnaik said he assured his students to solve their issues within a limited period. “I have gone through all their demands. Some of these demands are under pipeline and others will be fulfilled very soon,” he added.
Students called off the strike after getting assurance from the VC. “If we do not get expected result, we will again stage demonstration at the VC office,” said the students.