Presidency V-C Anuradha Lohia meets agitating students

Kolkata: Presidency University vice-chancellor Anuradha Lohia on Monday met the agitating boarders, who had been holding an indefinite sit-in for the past three days over hostel accommodation.

A university spokesman said Ms Lohia told the 50 agitating boarders that every effort was being made to complete renovation of the rundown building at the earliest but the state PWD has informed it will take five months to complete work.

“We need to take care of proper sanitation and water supply facilities and build rooms for the support staff which will take some more time,” the V-C told the students, the spokesman said.

He said the agitating boarders refused to buy the logic of the V-C and said that some parts of the building have already neared completion and should be opened for their stay. “We tried to explain to them that this was not possible as a building can be opened for use after it is declared fit for use by the concerned departments which we hope to get after the entire Hindu Hostel is renovated in another five months. We are open for further negotiations,” the spokesman said.

Ujan, a spokesman of the agitators and member of Independent Consolidation (IC) students union, said “We had waited for three years. It is not possible for us to wait indefinitely for getting berth in the new hostel.” He claimed two blocks of the hostel have already been renovated and 50 students of Presidency and 10 researchers may already be housed there.

The agitating students had been seeking room allotment at a hostel, which is currently undergoing renovation.

The students have brought pillows and mattresses to the campus building for the sit-in. They have not left the campus even for bathing or food,” Ujan said, adding that the university authorities were not sensitive to their situation. The students had been protesting outside the registrars office since 2 pm on August 3.

The hostel adjoining the College Street institution was shut down for repairs on July 29, 2015, and 150 boarders were shifted to a rented accommodation at New Town, which is around 18km from the university.

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