The students of the OUAT at Chipilima are sitting in a dharna pressing for various demands, including infrastructure development in the college and proper utilisation of the funds. They allege that their demands are not looked by the higher authorities.
Established in 1981, the college still lacks minimum needs. The students are living in unhygienic conditions in the hostels. “We do not have safe drinking water, as a result of which most of the students suffer from waterborne diseases,” said president of the Students’ Union Satya Prakash Barik. The students are also not getting proper medicines even if there is a dispensary for them, he alleged.
He further alleged that academic activities too are in no way better. The library is underequipped. The students hardly get any scope for campus interview for better placements.
Dean of OUAT from Bhubaneswar Dr Bijay Kumar Mishra visited Chipilima on Thursday and requested the students to withdraw the agitation which the later turned down. The students rather demanded that OUAT Vice-Chancellor Dr Manoranjan Kar come here from Bhubaneswar for a direct discussion with them and fulfil all their demands for better academic activities.
“We will withdraw the agitation only after a concrete assurance from the VC on our demands,” said a final year student, Alok Sahu.