Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 17: The Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) may be celebrating its golden jubilee year, but students under its constituent colleges continue to face difficulties because of lack of hostels.

Students under the College of Basic Science and Humanities, established in 1964, and the Centre of Post Graduate Studies (CPGS), which started in 1998, are yet to get accommodation on the campus.

In the absence of hostel facilities, a lot of the students’ time is wasted in travelling and cooking.

“This time could be utilised for studies if we had boarding facilities on the campus,” said Prateek, a student who stays in a mess six kilometres away from the college.

Many of the students, while applying for admission, had no knowledge that no hostel facilities were available.

“One of my relatives also used to study in the same college a few years ago. Hostel accommodation was available then. It was only during admission that I came to know that this facility has been discontinued. The authorities suddenly discontinued it without giving any reason,” said Jayant, another student.

Tired of the repeated agitations and request letters from the students, university authorities last year held an academic council meeting, where it was decided that “no hostel facilities available” would be mentioned in the college prospectus.

“OUAT has several colleges of which the College of Agriculture, College of Veterinary, College of Home Science and College of Agriculture Engineering and Technology are residential. However, College of Basic Science and Humanities, and the Centre of postgraduate studies are non-residential and therefore have no hostel facilities. This has been specifically mentioned in the prospectus and there is no reason why they should complain,” said director in charge Bikash Panda.

“Earlier, students from these two colleges were being placed in some of the available hostels till the 2009 batch. But subsequently the number of seats in colleges grew and there were more students. Since ours was a non-residential college, students had to take accommodation outside,” he said.

“However, demands of the students are genuine and the authorities are trying their best to extend hotel facilities to them,” said Panda.

Renovation of the Harihar hostel is on, following which it may be given out for the accommodation to girl students, senior officials said.

The university has sent a proposal to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to set up hostels. “An ICAR team spoke to the students and realised the need for hostels. Hopefully we will get the funds for them,” said hostel in charge N. Sahoo.