UCE Burla Students’ dharna reported in various newspapers
August 24th, 2008
Following is an excerpt from a report in New Indian Express.
Students of University College of Engineering (UCE), Burla, launched their three day hunger strike from today staging silent sit-on dharna in front of the administrative building of the college.
The students are demanding Unitary University Status for the oldest engineering college of the State, on the lines of Ravenshaw University, transfer of 400 acres of government land adjacent to UCE campus, hike in annual grant to UCE to Rs 15 crore and special infrastructure development grant of Rs 100 crore spread over three years. The students had launched a stir in October demanding upgradation of UCE to IIT with support from the Alumni Association of the college and locals.
But with the State Government deciding to house the IIT at Jatni, they are now demanding declaring the college as an Unitary University.
The students had apprised the Chief Minister of their demand vide a petition on August 2 and set August 21 as deadline to fulfill the demand.
But with no communication from the office of the Chief Minister for a dialogue over the issue, they resorted to hunger strike. … A delegation of students will be leaving for Bhubaneswar and will try to get an audience with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Governor MC Bhandare.
Entry Filed under: Sambaplpur-Burla-Jharsuguda-Baragarh area (4),UCE Burla (became a university),UCE Burla (Now a University),Upgrading UCE Burla to IIT level,VSS University of Technology (formerly UCE Burla)
7 Writeup
1. Prashant K Sahoo | August 26th, 2008 at 1:27 am
Very Good Move. It should happen in rest of the areas of oDishA. I wish you all the best.
2. Anuj Patra | August 26th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
I think the representative should meet Chief Minister Mr Naveen Patnaik and discuss their issue and fulfill their demand
3. Shriradhamohan Mohanty | August 26th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
This is very good move initiated by the students. The student force can take the UCE to new heigts with the support from Alumnii. All the very best.
4. Student UCE | August 29th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
DAY 1: 22nd AUG 08
Inspite of rain, we started our peaceful agitation .which invoked the response of media like OTV, ETV and DD News. Major Newspapers like Dharitre, Times of India, Samaj, Indian Express, Nab Bharat times and Telegraph have written about us.
DAY 2: 23rd AUG 08
We followed Black Ribbon protest against Government.
A Student delegation of 4 met the Personal Assistance of CM, who assured them that Topic of UCE UPGRADATION will be raised in the assembly.
DAY 3: 24th AUG 08
A press conference was organised at SUJATA HOTEL, Sambalpur at 5.00 pm, in the presence of Mr. Dillip Padhi in order to spread awareness in public about our demands and their reasons.
DAY4: 25th AUG 08
Relay Hunger was started from this day.
DAY 5: 26th AUG 08
On 26th august we had a meeting at the Western Orissa Sanskrutik Samaj at Sambalpur, where the following dignities forwarded their support to us.
Mohammed Azim Ajju BJD, SBP
Purna Chandra Padhee
Jaydev Barti Bhima Bhoi Sahitya Sansad, Budharaja, SBP.
Ashesh Padhy Secretary, Alumni Association, UCE
Ratan Kumar Baidhar Secretary, Dadhibamana Sanskruti Sangha, SBP
Prafulla Hota Orissa Sanskrutik Samaj, SBP
Dr. Anil Chandra Rao Convener, Azadi Bachao Andolan, Budhraja, SBP
Mahendra Ku. Dalpat 11/389, Nandapalli, SBP
Sravan Ku. Pati OTV, SBP
Manabodha Tripathy Secretary, Dadhibamana Sanskruti Sangha, SBP
Shyam Sundar Shama State Editor, Bharat Bikash Parisad
Jagdish Patra Hindalco, Hirakud, SBP
Jitendriya Ku. Nanda WESCO, SBP
Gyanabrata Bhoi Sambad, SBP
Naresh Chandra Seth Photographer, Sambad
Devadutta Das Pattnaik Para, SBP
G. Mohapatra Cameraman, ETV
Bijay Nanda Pujari Fatak, SBP
Sesadev Rath Reporter, ETV
Lambodhar Mishra Bhima Bhoi Sahitya Sansad, Budharaja, SBP.
Bajramohan Sahoo Samaj, SBP
Hemant Ku. Mohapatra Journalist
Nilesh Ku. Sahoo Ganabarta, SBP
Rajat OTV
Gargy Navbharat
S. Nanda Journalist, Dharitri
Prasanta Ku. Sahoo
Giridhari Prasad Guru Co-ordinator, Forum for Promotion of Excellency in Higher Education
Bipin Bihari Nayak President, District Bar Association, SBP
Bagbat Prasad Nanda Social Activist
B. Pr. Behura Secretary, HNT, SBP
Dilip Ku. Padhi Social Activist
gherao in front of RDC office, Sambalpur on 1st September, which would be led by Shri. Dillip Padhi, Shri. Bhawani Hota, Shri. Bipin Nayak and Shri. Bhagat Nanda. It would also be supported by ABVP and other student unions in Sambalpur region.
DAY 6: 27th AUG 08
In a meeting at Sujata hotel, and in the presence of Shri. Dillip Padhi, Shri. Bhawani Hota, Shri. Bipin Nayak and Shri. Bhagat Nanda following plans were finalized:
1st SEP 08: Gherao in front of RDC office, Sambalpur on 1st September, which would be led by Shri. Dillip Padhi, Shri. Bhawani Hota, Shri. Bipin Nayak and Shri. Bhagat Nanda. It would also be supported by ABVP and other student unions in Sambalpur region.
8th SEP 08 : LOKMACH will be organised.
We painfully recall that in 2004, our college was the choice of state government for becoming “IIT”.
But, when centre agreed to give “IIT’ to our state, instead of upgrading UCE, it was shifted to Banki, even though we fulfilled all the requirements. Now the government have changed the topic and have written MHRD for making UCE a ‘NIT’ , but we see least possibility of this as new NIT’s will go to the states which don’t have NIT now. Therefore Unitary University is the only feasible route for upgrading UCE.
We the students of UCE have never fought for ourselves. we never come out in support of any such strike by other BPUT students .Our fight is for the prestige and ‘swabhiman’ of our college .For which we have called a peacefully strike .But if we are not assured of fulfilment of our legitimate demand then we will be forced to come out to street and paralyze entire sambalpur region including Railways and National Highways.
For which we need your support
5. Students UCE | September 4th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Sir
In spite of our peaceful protest since(22nd Aug.) and relay
Hunger protest (since 27th Aug.), that to be within our college
campus, government authorities threatened us with strict action. Still
we didn’t call off the protest.
As assured by the Industries Minister,we are waiting for the
Act amendment within 15 days (5 days passed till date) .If our
justified demands are not fulfilled within this period, we assure the
government that our protest will get intensified to the extreme.
It’s a matter of sheer regret that the students of the oldest
engineering college in the state are in utter distress for the last 14
days holding a legitimate demand and still the govt. authorities are
not taking it seriously. While the other states are marching ahead
with the help from the center, this tells everything about the least
sympathy the Authorities have possessed for the development of
technical education in our state in the age of technological
advancements. The govt. should understand that such indifference and
aversion to the interests of students and education would lead to
severe unrest and disrespect for the authority among thousands and
lakhs of students across the state.And the consequences have to be
borne by the government.
We request our 16000 alumni to spare a thought for their Alma Mater
and support us in this rightful battle with their effort.
waiting for your response
warm regards
6. Bijay | September 5th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Today I got an email from my friend informing me about the Prof. N PATTANAYAK’s death. He was our head of the department of the mechanical engineering department and Principal of our college for 2/3 years. Then after he joined OUAT as Vice Chancellor. He was true technocrat, academician and visionary. You can see its true reflection, when you look at CET Bhubaneswar (Ghatikia Campus). He was the man responsible for it and other develomental activities in Orissa. It is indeed a great irrepairable loss to Mother Orissa. I pray GOD to give moral strength to bereaved family.
We all UCEan will miss a kind and loving teacher. This day is a bad day which carried passing away message of our beloved teacher.
7. Student UCE | September 15th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
To
Sri Naveen Pattnaik ji
Hon’ble Chief Minister
Govt. of Odisha
Sub: – Silence of the Govt. to our 24 days of Relay Hunger strike
Dear Sir,
You may be aware that the students of UCE, Burla are on Relay Hunger Strike from 22nd August (25 days till date). Our hunger strike is not meant for the removal of year back system or any other illogical demand but to upgrade the prestigious institute which should have been primarily the job of the Govt.
Our demands are:
(1) Upgradation of UCE, Burla as “Unitary State Universityâ€.
(2) One time Infrastructure Development Grant of Rs 100 crores.
(3) Transferring land of 400 Acres (Free Govt. land adjacent to the campus) to UCE, Burla.
The above said demands are both legitimate and credible. However we did not want to worsen the recent Law and Order challenge to the State Govt. and henceforth decided to continue our Relay Hunger Strike peacefully inside the campus. Unfortunately in our democracy people do not seem to notice unless the agitation is violent. It is a matter of great disappointment that even after 24days of Relay Hunger Strike neither the Collector nor the SP or any personnel from the concerned authority has met us in the campus even if everyone’s aware that we have been sitting constantly under open sky and rain. Our patience is running down. If our demands are not heard, we’ll … (edited out). We appeal not to test our patience and fulfill our legitimate and rational demands immediately, not withstanding things like the civic election.
Students
UCE, Burla