Administration Orders Reconstruction Of Patherpuri Hostel Boundary In Odisha’s Puri

Puri: SCS College ex-students on Saturday called off their weeklong protest against the demolition of the boundary wall of Patherpuri Hostel here after the district administration ordered the reconstruction of the wall.

Puri sub-collector Bhabatarana Sahu has written to the Works Department, directing them to complete the construction of the hostel boundary wall at the earliest.

Taking strong exception to demolition of boundary wall by the district administration to widen the road along the hostel, SCS College alumni had hit the streets.

The action committee of ex-students had urged the district administration to reconstruct the boundary wall and renovate the dilapidated hostel within a week, failing which it threatened to intensify the agitation.

Maintaining that not an inch of land of the hostel will be handed over to the administration for any other activity, the committee said that the people and students will not tolerate the administration’s unilateral decision.

The Patherpuri hostel bears memories of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. During his stay in Puri, he had a building constructed and named it Patherpuri. The Viswakabi, during his visit to the pilgrim town, used to stay at this building where he wrote some of his poems.

Tagore had later donated the land and the Patherpuri building to the SCS College. The building was converted into a hostel in 1945.