BHUBANESWAR: Tension ran high at Utkal University here on Monday after hundreds of students gheraoed the office of Vice-Chancellor Soumendra Mohan Patnaik protesting poor infrastructure.
The students also staged a dharna in front of the administrative block and engaged in a face-off with security personnel when the latter prevented them from entering VC’s office to hand over their 10-point charter of demands.
The students alleged that the classrooms and hostels too are ill-maintained while faculty crunch in several departments is hampering studies. Their other demands include timely conduct of examination and declaration of results, converting the present entrance into an exit and opening a new entrance as students are forced to take the wrong direction after the flyover construction, adequate street-light facility at hostel roads, installation of CCTV cameras and removal of slums from campus, early functioning of newly-constructed buildings and better facility for students at hostels.
Some students also opposed the proposed plan to construct a statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the premises and demanded that the fund be utilised for the renovation of department buildings and hostels. DCP Anup Sahu rushed to the spot with his force and tried to pacify the students who continued their agitation till 3 pm. Four platoons were deployed in the campus to maintain law and order.
The students called off their stir after the Vice-Chancellor agreed to fulfil all their demands by October first week. The DCP said police force was withdrawn from the campus after the agitation was called off.