Kolkata, Oct 5 (PTI) The indefinite fast by a section of the students of Presidency University here demanding immediate accommodation in the under renovation Hindu hostel entered the fourth day on Friday, as the authorities said two blocks of the hostel will be fit for use by November 15.
The agitating students at a general body meeting on Friday night said the boarders should be allowed to stay in three rooms in the campus and be allowed to take their belongings from the rented facility at New Town to Hindu Hostel immediately.
The students vowed to continue their fast till all the new demands were met.
The students demands included a committee be formed with the boarders for supervising the Hindu Hostel renovation and the boarders should get the hostel's two blocks by November 15.
When contacted, Vice-Chancellor Anuradha Lohia told PTI, we have always maintained we will open the Hindu hostel when the PWD will declare it fit - be it November 15 or whenever we will go by what they say.
About the new set of demands by students, she said "we will respond after going through the demands."
After talking to state PWD officials, who visited the campus during the day, the university authorities urged the students to call off the fast and said the PWD promised that renovation work of the two blocks will be completed by mid-November and the blocks will be declared fit for use by November 15, a university official said.
Subho Biswas, one of the agitating students said, three of the 11 fasting students had to be hospitalised Thursday due to exhaustion, fall in blood pressure and while two of them returned to the campus and joined the fast, another was still at hospital.
"As of now our demand remains the same. However, since the PWD has promised to declare the two wards fit for use by November 15, we will discuss the fresh development at a general body meeting this evening to decide on future move. As of now, the fast will continue," Biswas said. The indefinite fast began at the campus portico from 9 pm on Monday.
The Hindu Hostel, adjoining the College Street institution, had been shut down for repairs on July 29, 2015 and 150 boarders were shifted to a rented accommodation at New Town.
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