The students of Gangadhar Meher University staying in various hostels on Monday protested exorbitant hostel fees collected from them.
They sat in a dharna in front of the main gate of the university under the hot sun to draw the attention of the university authorities.
The hostel fees in other Government colleges of the State are even less that 50 per cent of that of the GM University (formerly GM (Auto) College). The hostel fees of the nearby Sambalpur University are one-third of the fees of the GM University, they claimed.
“Hence, we demand immediate decrease in the hostel fees at par with the other colleges and universities of the State,” said the agitating students.
“The students of western Odisha are not financially sound like that of the southern and coastal parts. But they are tasked with exorbitant fees without any rhyme and reason,” alleged GM University students’ union president Milan Hota.
He further alleged that the university campus is not safe for the students and girls are the worst sufferers. Eve teasing is a common affair here and the local police and university authorities hardly bother in spite of repeated complaints. The campus has turned to be a haven for the intruders, he added.
