The girl students of Presidency University have started a movement protesting the authorities’ decision to discontinue the bus service to ferry students to and from their Salt Lake hostel and hiking fees.
Before the Covid outbreak in March 2020, Presidency used to provide a bus service to take girl students to the campus from Salt Lake and drop them back at the hostel after classes.
On Monday, the students assembled on the campus and held posters, accusing the university of imposing a fee hike but not providing the bus.
The establishment charges (one time) that were ₹1,000, are ₹5,000 now.
The seat rent (per month) that was ₹90 previously has been hiked to ₹500. Ankita Sarkar, one of the students, said they are willing to pay the new rent as long as the bus service was resumed.
“We told the dean of students, Arun Kumar Maity, discontinuance of the bus service despite a four-time surge in the seat rent was not acceptable,” said Sarkar.
They want a rollback of the establishment charges.
An official of the university had earlier told The Telegraph that it was unlikely that the university would resume the bus service following an escalation in transportation costs.
Repeated calls to dean Maity and vice-chancellor Anuradha Lohia went unanswered.
Another student said it costs them at least ₹60 each day to come to the campus and then return to the hostel.
“If our hostel has been set up at a distance, then the university authorities have to ensure our transportation. The travelling cost is pinching our pockets,” she said.
Sarkar said the dean of students told them “to write to education minister Bratya Basu. “We are planning to write to him,” she said.
