Presidency University students block road, demand bus service for girl hostel boarders

KOLKATA: A group of Presidency University students on Monday staged a protest at the College Street-MG Road crossing here demanding adequate bus services for girl boarders residing in the institute's Salt Lake hostel.

Around 70 boarders have been staging a sit-in protest outside the dean of hostels' office for over 101 hours, demanding eight bus trips from the hostel to the campus and back, spokesperson for the protesting students told PTI. The distance between the hostel and the campus is around 10km. The blockade severely hit traffic with vehicles bound for Hatibagan and Howrah stuck at the crossing for nearly 30 minutes.

The protesters said they will continue to raise awareness about the challenges faced by girl students residing outside Kolkata, who rely on the hostel to attend classes on time. They vowed to persist with their efforts until the management addresses their concerns.

Also read West Bengal to introduce semester system in Class 11 from 2024-25 session

The hostel accommodates approximately 180 girl boarders, who are demanding the reinstatement of the bus service that was discontinued after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. University representatives said the previous bus service was subsidised by the state transport department, and due to financial constraints, the institute can only arrange for one bus.