Ending a nine-day Citu-steered stand-off, the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute reopens on Friday with new security guards posted on the campus.

The institute authorities handed over charge to GD Security Company on Thursday evening, replacing the 28 employees of Star Security and Detective Agency who have been agitating over a dues dispute.

“The issues of ESI, PF and minimum wage that the workers were demanding will be resolved soon. All pending dues since January 1, 2008 will also be cleared,” said the CPM MP from Jadavpur, Sujan Chakraborty, who brokered the truce between Citu and the institute authorities.

Chakraborty has called a meeting of the old security team and Citu leaders on Saturday to discuss the issues.

The campus deadlock was partially resolved on Wednesday with GD Security Company promising to absorb all the 28 security guards, who have been working at the institute since 1995, and place them elsewhere.

“We are happy with the decision and so are the students. The institute is not a place for politics,” said the institute’s chairman, Buddhadeb Dasgupta.

Having lost valuable work hours, the students are happy that the Citu demand for all 28 security guards to stay on at the institute has not been accepted. “This is a strong message that law-and-order must be maintained on the campus,” said Samimitra Das, a first-year student of direction and screenplay writing.

The 106 Citu-affiliated staff members of the film school are ready to carry on the fight. “We can’t understand why we have been removed from duty,” complained Prankrishna Das, one of the 28-member team to have lost his job.

“We fought for our dues and we want all the 28 security guards to be reinstated on campus. Or else, we will call a ceasework. We are waiting for Saturday’s meeting,” threatened Krishna Bhowmick, a housekeeping staff member and Citu supporter.