OU bandh over messy situation

Hyderabad: Osmania University students, who observed a bandh, obstructed some examinations on Saturday. The students are protesting against the failure of the University authorities to clear the mess bill which had accumulated to the tune of Rs 7 crore.

Nearly 1,000 PG students and PhD scholars have been on strike for over past two weeks. These students have been demanding that the government waive off all the mess dues and hereafter provide the basic amenities, including food to the OU students without any condition.

They demanded the government to provide the fellowship of Rs 8,000 and Rs 3,000 respectively to the research scholars and PG students of OU on par with the Central Universities. They are also demanding release of Rs 500 crore annually as block grant to the University. Students said that during the separate statehood movement, TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao had on many occasions promised that necessary funds would be released to the University.

He talked about reforms in education and provision of jobs to the unemployed youth. But soon after the formation of Telangana State, KCR has forgotten all his promises. They said it has been more than two-weeks since the closure of hostel mess in Osmania University but the government had not bothered to initiate any action to resolve their grievance.

Though KCR had announced in the State Legislative Assembly that the government would release Rs 7 crore towards pending mess dues, so far the money has not been released. Though it is over a year since the State was formed, the government had not appointed a regular Vice-Chancellor (VC). This is affecting the functioning of the University.

The students demanded that all research scholars and PG students should be provided with fellowship of Rs 8000 and Rs 3000 respectively on par with central Universities and Rs 500 crore every year as block grant to the University. The students submitted a memorandum to Prof M Kodandaram and other leaders on Saturday.