Students padlock PU central office

BIRATNAGAR, July 24:The agitating student unions affiliated with various political parties have barred Purbanchal University (PU) officials from entering the university´s central office buildings from Wednesday for an indefinite period to pressurize them to resign from their post.



"We will lock PU officials out from their offices until they resign from their posts," said Oshim Alam, a central member of All Nepal National Free Student Union.



The student unions of eight political parties, including the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML and Madheshi People´s Rights Forum, have been demanding collective resignation of PU Vice-chancellor Maheshwar Man Shrestha, Deans Shubha Narayan Pathak and Shyam Katuwal, registrar Niraj Pandey and officiating registrar Shambhu Koirala. The parties have alleged the officials with indulging in irregularities. [break]



Apart from padlocking the PU central office, the student unions have also warned of smearing black soot on the faces of the five officials if they entered the university premises.



The students have closed the central office for the past two days after the PU officials issued a statement criticizing the major political parties for demanding their resignation.



After the PU officials provoked the students by issuing a statement against the protest, the students on Monday had vandalized the PU central office at Puspa Lal Chowk in Biratnagar.



“The PU officials tried to suppress our protest. But we will not end our protest unless we make them resign from their posts. We want to give a new lease of life to the university,” said Hari Bhattrai, a member of Nepal Student Union (NSU). He accused the PU officials of exploiting their position for personal gains rather than working for the development of the institution.



Meanwhile, a probe committee formed by University Grants Commission under the leadership of Bhola Pokharel, the member secretary of UGC, which arrived in Biratnagar in order to resolve the problem , held a brief conversation with the agitating student unions on Wednesday.



During the meeting, the student unions briefed the committee about the irregularities, and urged an investigation into the matter.

Pokharel said the probe committee will hold talks with all the stakeholders.

Related story

Students padlock dean's office after 68 percent fail in third s...