Cuttack, Sept. 29: The Odisha government today ordered the closure of School of Nursing at SCB Medical College and Hospital for an indefinite period to enforce discipline on campus.

The students have been asked to vacate the hostel within 24 hours, a notification issued by the state health department said.

The nursing students have condemned the move of the health department and have threatened to intensify their agitation.

“We are fighting for our rights and have done nothing against the law. We will continue with our agitation till our demands are met,” said Arajit Mallick, a nursing student.

The move came a day after the students, who have been on an indefinite strike since September 25 with their six-point charter of demands, gheraoed the office of SCB Medical College and Hospital superintendent D.N. Moharana yesterday.

The administrative work at the superintendent’s office was also adversely affected following the agitation by the students, who did not allow any official of the hospital to enter the building yesterday.

In another development, the nursing students of VSS Medical College and Hospital at Burla and MKCG Medical College and Hospital at Berhampur have also extended their support to the ongoing agitation.

Around 400 nursing students at SCB Medical College and Hospital have been demonstrating for the past five days demanding an immediate hike in their stipend, among other things.

The students, who are entitled to a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000, are demanding a stipend equivalent to 60 per cent of the salary of a staff nurse working at any government hospital.

Besides, they are also demanding a hike in their dress allowance from Rs 750 to Rs 1,500, immediate conduct of the board examination, which has not be held for two years and re-enrolment of boy students.

Their demands also include immediate renovation of the ladies’ hostel building, which has become unsafe, urgent measures to improve infrastructure and library facilities.