Calcutta University has requested the state education department to take steps to ensure uninterrupted traffic and adequate police deployment so that examinees can reach the exam centres on time on August 28, which coincides with the foundation day of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad.

In a letter written by the CU’s registrar on Wednesday, the request was made days after the university rejected the department’s request to reschedule the undergraduate examinations.

The department appealed to the university last week to reschedule the exams as the date coincides with the foundation day of the Trinamool student wing.

The letter states: “The undersigned (the registrar) is directed to request you to kindly take necessary steps to extend all government support, including ensuring uninterrupted traffic and police arrangements in order to enable the examinees and other stakeholders reach their respective examination centres timely and in a hassle-free manner.”

The letter also says that the education department’s appeal on rescheduling the examination was taken up at the university’s emergency syndicate meeting held on August 4, and the syndicate has “decided to hold the examination fixed on August 28 as per schedule”.

BCom fourth-semester as well as BA LLB fourth-semester examinations are scheduled on August 28.

As many as 30,000 students of 159 affiliated colleges will write the exams.

“The government, in its letter, cited possible transportation hazards on August 28 coming in the way of examinees reaching the examination centres because of the foundation programme. We have requested the state government to provide adequate transport facilities,” CU’s officiating vice-chancellor Santa Datta Dey said on August 4 after the meeting.

According to a CU official, an autonomous institution like CU cannot change the exam dates because a student’s outfit of the ruling dispensation will hold a rally on Mayo Road to observe its foundation day.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to address the students on the foundation day.

“If the government is so concerned about the possible disruptions, let them make special arrangements for the sake of the examinees,” the official said.

During the emergency syndicate meeting on Monday, Om Prakash Mishra, the state higher education council’s nominee to the university’s syndicate, along with Chandani Tudu and Madhumita Manna, the higher education department’s nominees to the syndicate, gave their notes of dissent opposing the university’s decision to go ahead with the exams.