Punjabi university students protest poor amenities

Tribune News Service
Patiala, March 15

Students of University College of Engineering, Punjabi University, Patiala, today shut the department gates and held a protest over poor quality food, lack of proper drinking water and non-functional lifts at the multi-storey hostel buildings.

Students claimed that despite submitting written representations to the university officials, nothing had been done to address their issues.

The protest was withdrawn after the university administration agreed to the students’ demands.

Sandeep Kaur, a university student associated with Punjab Radical Students Union (PRSU), said, “The students of University College of Engineering (UCOE) staying at three adjacent hostels had submitted a representation to the university administration demanding facilities including functional lifts at the department building and the hostels along with proper drinking water and food. The university had demanded a week’s time to find a solution to the issues. They have started a protest after the time period has passed.”

The students in their representation said that they were not being provided clean drinking water and the quality of food was also poor.

They also claimed that lifts in their multi-storey hostel buildings – Mai Bhago Hostel, Bebe Nanki Hostel and Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Hostel – were non-functional, due to which they were forced to climb up and down the stairs.

“The same is with the department hostels,” the students said as they sought a solution to the problems faced by them.

The students blocked the entry to their department and continued to protest till afternoon.

Later in the day, the university in a written statement to the students said maintenance of the RO system at the hostel had been carried out and students could get clean drinking water.

The administration also said all the minor and major maintenance issues related to bathrooms in the department building would be carried out by April.

Maintenance of lifts at the department and hostel buildings will be carried out in 15 days, they said.

The administration also gave directions for improvement in quality of food at Mai Bhago Hostel.