Other States - Orissa   

Tension at Utkal varsity as student groups go on strike

Staff Reporter

SC, ST students lock up Registrar's office

BHUBANESWAR: Tension prevailed at Utkal University campus on Thursday when two groups of students attempted to close down offices forcibly in connection with different issues.

The strike launched by students belonging to Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes on reduced stipend nine days ago was renewed on Thursday after university authorities apparently failed to give a concrete assurance on the issue.

About 60 students forced their way to office of the Registrar in the morning and locked up his room protesting the no-response from university on reduction in their stipend amount.

"We had drawn the attention of Vice-Chancellor Laxmi Narayan Mishra on April 23 and 24 on stipend of ST and SC students. The Vice-Chanellor assured to get back to us within a week. But now it seems they are only buying time to diffuse students' unrest," Suresh Kalah, one student, said.

The students also approached PG Council Chairman but he also sought time to resolve the issue. "If everybody wants time, then there will be no end to the process," Kalah said adding that strike would continue on Friday. The students were aggrieved since no varsity authority came to them with a solution.

Student hurt

Another unrest stemmed from a wrangle between two groups of students during the annual function of Personal Management and Industrial Relations (PMIR) on Wednesday evening. A student was injured while two attackers were said to be non-student.

Subsequently, students closed the main gate of Utkal University and threatened to stop vehicular movement on NH-5. "Though Students' Council Advisor D. N Jena and Superintendent of Police Amitabh Thakur had assured us to arrest the two culprits by Thursday afternoon, no action was initiated," Tapas Sethi, a student, said.

He alleged, "the Vice-Chancellor was not prepared to listen our grievances." In the evening, students were waiting to meet the Vice-Chancellor. If the non-students were not arrested, the university authorities would be held responsibility for any law and order problem," Tapas said.

Body found

Meanwhile, body of an unidentified man was detected in an open field behind the MCA department. Students alleged that police were relaxing during the night while miscreants had thrown the body inside the campus. The face of the body seemed to have been burnt down to cover up the identity. Incidentally, police were deployed around the university after students' agitation in the late evening of Wednesday.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

45-foot whale washed ashore
Making `education for all' a reality
Congress seeks action against former collector
Tension at Utkal varsity as student groups go on strike
Congress, CPI workers picket Hinjli police station
Radio Choklate to go on air from today
Minister, six others hurt in accident
University of Culture to have its own campus

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu