Hostellers go on strike at GMC Kochi complaining of lack of security

Kochi: The Government Medical College (GMC), Kochi students went on strike on Tuesday, demanding more security at the women's hostel. They however withdrew the protest later when the college authorities promised to look into their grievances and take required action within two days.

"Intruders were found inside the hostel on two occasions during the past two weeks. No action has been taken to improve the security of the hostel so far," said Students' Union, Chairman Athul.

Some of the existing drawbacks of the hostel are absence of lights in the area surrounding the hostel, no street lights or compound wall around the hostel and overgrowth on the premises all adding to the problems of security. A student revealed that there were also many migrant workers staying in the PWD building under construction, next to the hostel building.

The windows of the women's hostel have no grills leading to the women hos tellers feeling insecure. "Anyone can easily enter inside the hostel. The hos tellers had found intruders in the middle of the night twice," said the student.

Students also complained of the police aid post being usually empty. The police have to deploy at least two men in a shift said the students. "But we usually see only one policeman, that too for a short period," they added. The aid post, they said needed a total of eight policemen.

The college has now made a fresh recruitment of a male security guard for night duty at the hostel, in place of the existing female security guard.