The students, teachers and non-teaching staff of SNDT College of Arts and Commerce, College of Home Science and BEd College in the city went on a one-day token strike on Friday demanding better facilities and security on the campus. The authorities relented to the demands in the evening and promised to take action.

SNDT Women University houses three colleges at its Pune campus. All the three colleges remained closed on Friday. The staff and the students have been raising the issues of security and cleanliness on the campus and hostels over the last few months. They had also formed a joint forum — SNDT Women University, Pune campus action committee. “On November 24, the committee had written a letter to the administration demanding action, but the administration did not respond. So we had no option but to go on strike,” said Dhananjay Kulkarni, a teacher at SNDT.

The committee had submitted a memorandum of their demands to the administration and to the vice chancellor Chandra Krushnamurty in Mumbai. Ramesh Chonde, a non-teaching staff, said the issue of security was of great concern. “Outsiders enter the college in the evening and drink liquor on campus. They tease the girls in the hostels. The administration has failed to stop them from entering the campus,” he said. The students also voiced their concerns about the security and lack of facilities. “The campus and the hostel are very dirty. Even if it is a women’s college, boys enter the campus almost every day. They ride their bikes on the campus and encroach our grounds,” said a student.

Chandrashekhar Gandhe, a teacher in the college, said, “almost 50 per cent posts of non-teaching and teaching staffs have been lying vacant since 1995 and despite repeated requests, the university has not taken any action.”

The staff even brought to the notice that a retired teacher has been appointed as in-charge of the campus and in case of any complaints he says he has no powers to take action.

“Even though the university has promised action, the committee has given a ten-day deadline to the administration and will intensify the agitation if the demands are not met,” said Kulkarni.