Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Inmates of a girls’ hostel at Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya on Thursday created a ruckus and demanded the removal of the chief warden (girls’ hostels) over alleged poor facilities at their boarding facility.
The situation turned bad to worse when chief warden Namrata Sharma rubbished their claims and even warned a girl student getting closer to her. Sharma had to force her entry out of the office as a girl student tried to stop her.
Later, the protesting hostellers locked the chief warden’s office and staged a sit-in demanding Sharma’s removal from the post.
Inmates of Pt Ramabai Girls Hostel had reached the chief warden’s office seeking improvement in their boarding facilities. They claimed that their hostel RO is not functioning for the past couple of months due to which they have been surviving on non-potable water which is making them sick.
“The situation is such that some hostellers had to be hospitalised as they fell ill due to drinking non-potable water in the last two months,” the hostellers told media persons.
They also claimed that they are not getting quality meals to eat in the mess. On learning about the protest, Sharma reached the spot. She rejected the claims made by the hostellers and directed them to end their protest and return to their hostel.
This led to a heated exchange between Sharma and the hostellers. As a girl hosteller reached closer to Sharma, the latter warned her and asked her to maintain distance. The hostellers, however, claimed that Sharma actually had pushed her.
However, a video of a girl student blocking the way of Sharma went viral wherein the latter was seen forcing her entry out of the office.
Sharma then left the office in a huff even as the protesters made her removal from the post their primary demand. Later, chief warden (all DAVV hostels) Dr GL Prajapati and DSW Prof LK Tripathi reached the spot and got the office opened.
Committee formed
Some hostellers and ABVP activists then reached the RNT Marg campus to gherao vice chancellor prof Renu Jain. They demanded the removal of Sharma from the chief warden post. They told the VC that they have plenty of issues regarding their boarding facilities.
Apart from drinking water and meal issues, the hostellers told the V-C that guards’ behaviour is also an issue. They don’t behave properly with us, the hostellers alleged. They also told the V-C that their application of installing street lights on the way to the hostel also went unaddressed. In response, the V-C formed a three-member committee which will prepare a list of issues facing hostellers and see the ground reality. Based on the report, the V-C said further action will be taken.
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