Patna University Students’ Union members are running out of time to fulfil the bouquet of promises they made before elections.

Four months on, those elected them are running out of patience. Reason: unfulfilled dreams because of lack of unity among the elected members of the Patna University Students’ Union (Pusu).

Kumar Gaurav, a postgraduate journalism student at Darbhanga House, said: “Before the union elections, all candidates had talked about setting up of a placement cell, renovation of hostels, starting bus services and others. Four months have passed but no results can be seen.”

Gaurav added that with barely three months left for the completion of the tenure of the present Pusu members, it would be a litmus test for the elected body to fulfil its promises.

According to Patna University (PU) acting vice-chancellor (VC) U.K. Sinha, the next students’ union elections would be conducted by September 15. Sinha said: “According to guidelines of the Lyngdoh Committee report, students’ union elections should be held six weeks after the new session starts. The new academic session is likely to start in the second week of July and the students’ union elections have to be completed before mid-September.”

According to the university sources, differences among members of Pusu have affected the proper functioning of the union. Though the Pusu election was not held on party lines, there is allegedly no unity among the members owing to their affiliation to various political parties.

The present Pusu panel has representation from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the All India Students’ Federation (AISF), the students’ wing of the JD(U), the RJD and some other political organisations. The lack of unity among the Pusu members can be gauged from the fact that Pusu treasurer Abhishek Gupta, associated with the RJD students’ wing, gave a university bandh call on Monday.

The RJD students’ wing tried to forcefully shut down the campus with academic activities coming to a standstill. The other union members did not support the RJD protest, though.

Differences among the Pusu members had come to the fore earlier also. When some AISF members on March 9 allegedly attacked then VC Shambhu Nath Singh, the union president, Ashish Sinha, strongly protested against the incident. Sources said Pusu general secretary Anshu Kumari and Pusu vice-president Anshuman Singh were involved in the assault.

Differences were also visible among the union members when the Pusu got its new office at the PU’s main administrative block. Anshuman Singh protested when acting VC U.K. Sinha handed two keys to the president and the general secretary, respectively.

Sources said lack of co-operation from the varsity administration had compounded the woes of the union. Pusu general secretary Anshu Kumari admitted that the union had not done much to solve the students’ problems and claimed that the union members were unaware of their rights and duties even after four months.

Anshu said: “It has been more than four months but the university administration is yet to provide us the rulebook, which provides guideline about the right and the duties.”

The union member added: “A fortnight ago, we got a new office at the Patna University administrative block but there is no sweeper to clean it.”

She, however, claimed that the union played a key role in extending generator facilities from 8pm to 10pm at the Patna University Central Library, installing water coolers at many departments and colleges in the past five months.

Acting VC Sinha said: “Two days ago, the varsity constituted a sanitation committee in which the Pusu members were included.” Sinha added that Pusu members would get their rulebook soon.

Raj Sinha, an undergraduate history student at Patna College, said: “The present Pusu members have failed on all fronts in discharging their duties. The members don’t even know about their rights and duties.”