Ranchi: Talks between the Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ) administration and students over hike in mess fee ended in a deadlock on Monday as varsity officials said some demands could not be accepted.Vice-chancellor Sarang Medhakar, senior university officials and student representatives attended the meeting which continued till late evening. Sources said another round of talks would be held on Tuesday.Around 200 CUJ students had staged a dharna in front of the university gate on Sunday to protest the increase in mess charges from Rs 3,000 a month to over Rs 3,800. Stating that the revision in charges would put financial burden on students, the agitators demanded that a hike in charges be linked to better quality of meals and transparent monitoring.The agitation was withdrawn around 11 pm after university officials assured them that talks would be held in the presence of the VC.CUJ officials said students demanded that monthly mess fee be capped at Rs 3,000, and free meals must be provided for a week if the quality of food being served was found to be unsatisfactory, which were unrealistic. Students, however, claimed the administration offered only assurances and took no concrete decision.
