The Berhampur University has always been in public debate due to corrupt practices and administrative lapses to which both the Raj Bhavan and the Higher Education department have turned deaf ears. Student unrest has become a routine affair in the campus. Students resorted to a dharna in front of the Vice-Chancellor’s office on Thursday in support of their 20-point charter of demands which remain unheeded by the university administration and the Chancellor’s office.
The demands include conduct of an impartial probe into the irregularities and corrupt practices including misappropriation of funds used in the name of various development works such as constructions, renovations, repairs, electrification and new installations out of the post-Phailin assistance, lack of faculty members, irregular classes, absence of two principal officers like Vice-Chancellor and Registrar in the university campus and non-occupation of their earmarked official quarters, examination and appointment scams of last ten years and misappropriation of fund in electrical repairing and installations.
The student unrest led to tension for some time on Thursday leading to damage of university properties including windows, doors, furniture and other valuables, sources said. Chairman of PG Council Prof Prasant Kumar Padhi reached the place of incident and pacified the students, after which the students opened the lock of the main grill of the administrative building and withdrew their stir expecting that their demands would be met soon.
The university has reportedly got an assistance of Rs48 lakh to meet the cost of all electrical repairing of all the three PG student hostels. The students have alleged unfair practices and kickbacks and low quality works, sources said. The Chancellor’s office has appointed some officers in the university against whom there were reported cases of corruption and Vigilance inquires were pending, sources said. The students have warned that if their demand for a Vigilance probe is not met within seven days, as assured by the university authorities, they would be forced to make the university defunct, said students.