The Gangadhar Meher University (GMU) campus witnessed hurly burly situation on Wednesday when the students protested the transfer of four lecturers without substitutes.
They also requested the university authorities not to relieve them without substitutes.
The members of the civil society and the social organization Progressive Sambalpur, also made similar demands and joined voice with the students.
One staff each from the departments of Physics, Chemistry, Political Science and Odia have been transferred from the university as per a Government order which the student and the civil society protested tooth and nail.
The students of the university who have been facing the problem of acute staff crunch since years boycotted classes and also sat in dharna in front of the office of the Vice Chancellor to protest the transfer.
“There is no point to transfer teaching staff from this university since 58 vacancies exist as on today in this university. The fresh transfer order will further aggravate the problem,” said general secretary of the GM University student union Sumit Patel.
“We will continue the dharna from tomorrow and from 16 of the current month, we will totally close the university if the vacancies in teaching and non-teaching posts are not filled up,” Patel warned.
Vice Chancellor Prof SS Rath said that he had already apprised the Government of the problems here.
“I have made discussion with the Higher Education Department personally. We have sent a proposal for 300 teaching posts and 200 non teaching posts after GM College was upgraded to a university,” the VC said further.