Presidency students in sit-in over hostel accommodation

Press Trust of India  |  Kolkata 

Around 70 students of Presidency University here have been holding a sit-in within the campus for 31 hours demanding that they be alloted rooms in an old hostel building under renovation.

Ujan, a of the agitating students and member of Independent Consolidation (IC) students' union, said two blocks of the have already been renovated and should be handed over to the outstation boarders immediately.

"We will carry on the sit-in unless the university authorities open a channel of communication with us in this regard,," he told

said 70 students have been on a dharna before the office of since 2 pm yesterday.

yesterday said in a statement it will take another four to five months to make the "habitable and safe for students".

The university authorities went back on their promise to renovate the hostel by July 15 and throw it open to students on August 1, claimed.

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 in New Town, which is quite far from the campus. The boarders cite communication problem for attending classes from the accommodation.

A university said the and other officials had left.

"The university officials left by another gate without communicating with us. They have left but we will continue to sit-in till they listen to our demands," said.

He said apart from members of and IC, boarders not affiliated to any union were also participating in the agitation.

The was not available for comment.

The university said the six blocks of the hostel were in a dilapidated state with plaster peeling off the walls and ceilings.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Sat, August 04 2018. 22:20 IST