Utkal students gherao VC's office
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Bhubaneswar: Raising various pressing issues affecting the premier Utkal University, students staged a protest in front of the vice-chancellor's office here on Thursday. They demanded strengthening of the security system for students inside the campus and eviction of slum dwellers encroaching upon university land.
The students alleged that some university staff don't vacate the staff quarters even after retirement. "Some of the serving staff, staying outside the campus in apartments, rent out the staff quarters. Outsiders staying in the staff quarters on rent misuse the facility for illegal work," said Sachidananda Moharana, a PG student. He said recently illegal drugs were seized from a staff quarter. "The staff should know that university property should not be misused in any way," he added.
Debesh Dash, a law student, said outsiders enter the university via three sides and create problems on the campus. "What's the point of guarding two gates if our boundaries have openings at three places?" he added.
Slum dwellers are rearing pigs inside the campus. "I fail to uderstand why a slum has been created inside the campus. Why is it not being shifted from the campus? We want our campus to have closed boundaries with properly guarded gates and be free from encroachment," said another student.
Amit Jena, an alumnus of the university, said the university is treating its alumni as non-students. "The issue should not be diverted by driving alumni away from hostels. Many poor alumni are preparing for UPSC, OPSC, SSC, and other competitive exams. They will not create any problem for the university. They cannot stay outside by paying hefty rents. So, some of them are staying with students for preparation and studying in the library," he added.
The Utkal University unit of
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
(ABVP) started an indefinite hunger strike from Thursday, demanding action against sale of liquor or illegal drugs on the campus, driving non-students out of the hostels, and tightening security on the campus.
Utkal University vice-chancellor Sabita Acharya assured students of help. "We have written letters to the govt to take action against encroachment inside the university campus. We will also discuss with appropriate authorities to look into the matter," she added.
She said the university has issued notices to non-students staying inside the hostels. "A few retired people are staying in the staff quarters. They will be leaving in four months," she said.
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