KalingaTV News Network
Bhubaneswar: Thousands of students from Vani Vihar (Utkal University) on Thursday staged road-blockade on NH 16 in front of the main gate of the campus here protesting over the government’s decision to establish the second campus of Rama Devi (RD) Women’s University in Vani Vihar premises here.
The protesting students including the girl students were seen sitting on the NH, burning tyres and shouting slogans urging the State government to revoke the decision in this connection.
With vehicular communication coming to a standstill between Rasulgarh to Acharya Vihar and Rupali sqare to Vani Vihar Chhak in the city, commuters were narrowing time reaching their destinations this afternoon.
DCP Satybrata Bhoi reached the spot to pacify the protesting Students. Adequate security personnel were deployed in and outside of the campus to prevent any untoward incident in the city.
Yesterday, the Vani Vihar students had blocked the main gate of the university by burning tyres and flaunted placards saying ‘Stop Planning To Divide Utkal Campus’.
Tension erupted after the State government constituted a committee formed headed by the Vice-Chancellor of Utkal University to identify 30 acres of land in the existing campus of the Utkal University for recommending the allotment to the second campus of RD Women’s University in the state capital.
Sources said that it was earlier decided to set up the second campus of RD Women’s University in Daspur area on the outskirts of the capital city here, but the decision was later changed citing the distance and security concerns.
Currently, RD Women’s University runs in the same campus of erstwhile Rama Devi Women’s College in the city.
Ms Kalinga