Utkal University students protest on the campus. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 27: Thousands of students of Utkal University today gheraoed the varsity postgraduate council chairman’s office demanding measures to address various infrastructural issues.

The agitators presented a four-point charter of demands to the university authorities. The demands include opening of the sixth girls’ hostel, renovation of all existing hostels, proper functioning of the hostel’s mess and cleanliness of the varsity campus.

“Though there are large numbers of girl students, the number of seats in different girls’ hostels does not match the demand. The authorities must ensure enough seats for girl students of the university,” said Mitali Mohapatra, a final-year student of women’s studies.

The students expressed their unhappiness with the alleged negligence towards maintenance of the existing hostels of the campus. “There are a number of problems in the existing hostels that need to be addressed immediately. The hostels are not maintained properly. We have also informed the authorities about these problems. But no action has been taken so far,” said Sangram Keshari Patra, another student. He also said the agitation would continue in the future if the problems were not addressed at the earliest.

The students also raised questions about the sanitation condition of the campus. “The campus should be cleaned keeping an eye on the recent dengue outbreak. What we have put forward are the genuine demands of the students,” said Tanmay Swain, another student. He also threatened that the agitation would be intensified if the authorities failed to solve their problems within seven days.

Students also alleged negligence in the maintenance of hostel buildings. “The hostels are all in a dilapidated condition. But the authorities have done nothing to renovate the buildings. We are thus forced to resort to demonstration,” said Girija Sankar Jena, a first-year student of the university.

Chairman of postgraduate council P.K Sarkar, however, said: “I will look into the demands raised by the students on Monday. But we are going to make the sixth girls’ hostel functional very soon.”