Other States - Orissa

‘Missing’ nursing student returns

BERHAMPUR: The ‘missing’ student of the government nursing college in the city, Itirekha Mallik, returned to the institute on Saturday night.

But the students of the institute decided to continue their strike and lock up the institute. The students took up the path of agitation from August 6 night following disappearance of Itirekha from hostel, after she failed in her examination. The girls alleged that similar incidents were occurring where students were being failed intentionally. They also demanded the removal of their principal, Amrita Lenka. Earlier the girls had said they would not end their strike till Itirekha returned.

Itirekha could be tracked down. She had gone to her home in Kalahandi district. She was brought back to the institute to pacify the agitating girls on Saturday night. The agitating students greeted her.

But they decided to continue their agitation till their other demands were fulfilled. “The issue of Itirekha was just the ignition for us to unite and stand up to get all our long-standing demands fulfilled,” said Swapna Samuel, a leader of the students. Even Itirekha decided not to check into the hostel till all demands of students were fulfilled.

Students’ leader Shobhana Priyadarshini said they would continue the boycott of classes and lock up the institute till their all demands were fulfilled. The demands were demanding removal of the principal, establishment of a placement cell to provide employment source to the students passing out from the institute, hike in the monthly stipend of the fourth year degree course of nursing to Rs. 5,000 from the present amount of Rs. 1,500 and filling up of all posts of faculty in the institute.

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