Won’t let opening of AU’s Diphu campus till demands met: Students

By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, March 14: The Assam University Diphu Campus Students’ Union (AUDCSU) has reaffirmed that it is not going to let the authority open the gate of the university’s Diphu campus till its demands are met. The gate of the University campus has been locked since March 10, 2017 by the students.
Addressing the press at Guwahati Press Club here today, AUDCSU general secretary Bibison Rongpi said: “Assam University’s Diphu campus lacks the facilities that befit a central university. Fifty per cent of the development funds that come to the University should be used for the infrastructure development of its Diphu campus. However, we’re in dark if Diphu campus of the university gets its due fund share or not. The authority in the campus charges Rs 5,000 as transportation fees and Rs 1,500 as development fees from each student yearly. However, only two buses run for the transportation of around 500 students in the campus. Development is almost zero, and that’s one of the reasons behind the University being ranked below 90 at the tiol level ranking.”
Rongpi said: “The plight of the road leading to the university campus is pathetic. Accidents are very common. The campus has no drinking water facility. An immediate outcome is that a student suffers from stomachache almost every week. Networking is another problem. The power supply is erratic. There’s no nurse at the health centre at the campus. There’s no ambulance facility either. Even though there’s no hostel facility at the campus, the authorities charge hostel fees. Every department badly feels the paucity of teachers. This is not all. SC/ST students of this campus have not been getting their scholarship since 2014-15.” Rongpi further said that they wanted immediate removal of in-charge PVC Prof. Amalesh Bhowal with the appointment of the permanent PVC, the appointment of a deputy registrar, an assistant registrar and others for the campus.