Girl students of Andhra University staying at the university’s hostel at Maharanipeta went on a flash strike on Wednesday afternoon demanding plying of more buses to the campus, adequate water supply, and better food. Nearly 1,300 girl students are staying in five blocks of the hostel and in the warden’s quarters that is also allotted to them to meet the demand.
The agitation went on for a few hours from the lunch break when the students refused to get into buses to go to campus complaining that they were facing a lot of hardship in the transport. They relented late in the afternoon after Principal K. Sreerama Murthy, who visited the hostel along with Dean of College Development Council S.D. Joga Rao, Coordinator of UGC affairs G. Veerraju and Dean (PG exams) Visveswara Rao and held talks with the students in the presence of Chief Warden T. Sobha Sree. Assistant wardens Sita and Anuradha were also present.
Prof. Sreerama Murthy and others assured the students that two buses would be hired from Thursday to improve the transport facility. To overcome the water scarcity in the hostel, another water sump would be constructed immediately in which water supplied by GVMC would be stored and pumped into overhead tanks whenever needed. To the complaint on poor quality of food it was decided that two students would volunteer each day to prepare menu and to ensure quality food.
Two years ago students staying in the hostel went on a one-and-a-half day strike demanding better facilities. On Wednesday too the students decided to launch a flash strike saying that they could not bear the difficulties any longer.
Poor water supply
Why should they adjust with inadequate facilities like lack of sufficient number of cots, poor water supply, cramped transport and poor quality food, even after paying the required fee? they asked. The water tanks were not being cleaned regularly, some students do not have cots and 20 girls have to use two bathrooms, the girls complained.
Prof. Sobha Sree explained that while one out of the five university’s buses was withdrawn because it was not in a good condition another vehicle was under repair for the last two days. This had put a lot of pressure on the transport, particularly during lunch hour when all students have to go back to campus. She asserted that the food grains were being purchased at Super Bazaar and good quality food was being served to the students every day. Power shutdown was the reason for adequate quantity of water not being pumped to the overhead tanks, she said.
Sanitation
Prof. Sreerama Murthy instructed that sanitation should be improved immediately. A sanitary committee has been formed and a mess committee would be formed on Thursday.
