Khallikote College students launch stir demanding Unitary University Status

BERHAMPUR: Khallikote college students are again back on the streets demanding Unitary University status for their almamater, shortage of teaching faculty and the inordinate delay in transfer of 17 acres of OSRTC land to the Institution. Students of the biggest college in the city started dharna on the six-point charter of demands which includes unitary university status for the historic Institution. Student leaders threatened to continue the stir till fulfillment of the demands. The agitating students also demanded the handing over of a patch of land under Orissa State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) to the college. This land was earlier leased out to a to a retail major. But due to opposition of students and citizens of the city, the Chief Minister had intervened to cancel the lease last year. It was decided to alienate the land to more than a century old institute for its expansion. But the land has not been handed over to the institute till date. The agitators claimed that the government had promised to hand over a plot belonging to Orissa State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) to the college last year. They added that the government had earlier planned to give the land to a retail major but reviewed its decision after a protracted students' agitation. The students also demanded the filling up of vacancies of teaching staff of this institute. According to them most of the departments of the college were short staffed which had affected the teaching process.

Source: The Hindu, Dailypioneer, Times of India, Odishatoday