Bhubaneswar: Students of the Government College of Physical Education (GCPE) here staged a demonstration before the Sports & Youth Services Department on Tuesday demanding better infrastructure and academic facilities.
Raising slogans against lack of practice grounds, hostel facilities and shortage of teachers, the students rued the delay in construction of their new hostel building.
The protestors comprising students of Bachelor of Physical Education (B.P.Ed) and Masters of Physical Education(M.P.Ed) courses alleged that there are only four teachers for 250 students.
"We do not have proper drinking water facility. The rooms which are meant for ten students are stashed with 30 students," informed a student Smrutirekha Sahu.
"Before the Asian Athletic Championships, our students were using the running track at Kalinga Stadium for practice. Later, when the track was covered with synthetic layout, we were told not to use the track. The authorities allotted us a space near Gate no. 2 of the stadium," informed Debprasad Behera, Principal of GPCE.
The agitating students rued that the alternate “practice ground” provided to them was actually a car parking area. “That ground is often used to fire crackers and is spilled with its metal remains. Many of us have hurt ourselves while practicing there,” rued another student.
Soon after the demonstration, the authorities had talks with the students and assured them of expediting the hostel construction work. “The hostel work will be completed as quickly as possible and students can shift there immediately," informed Manoj Kumar Padhi, Joint Secretary of Sports & Youth Services Department.