Traders demonstrate before Visva Bharati VC's office

Some traders demonstrated before the Visva Bharati University Vice-Chancellor''s office on Tuesday demanding the security deposit, given to the varsity authorities by them for putting up stalls in the ''Pous Mela'', be refunded at the earliest.

Varsity sources said the demonstration outside the central office of the university continued for more than six hours.

A spokesman of ''Bolpur Byabsayee Samity'', the organisation of stall owners, alleged that despite repeated reminders the varsity authorities did not return the amount, refundable to the stall owners, for the annual fair which was held for three days - December 24-26 last year.

Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty was not present at his chamber in the central office when the demonstration took place.

The spokesman of Bolpur Byabsayee Samity claimed there was a slump in business at Pous Mela this year due to rains and the stall owners incurred losses and hence wanted the deposit money to be paid to tide over the losses.

The Visva Bharai sources did not comment on the demand of stall owners.

The Pous Mela was started in 1894 by Rabindranath Tagore''s father, Maharshi Debendranath, and Visva-Bharati University has been organising it since 1951.