SFI activists on Tuesday broke into the administrative campus of Burdwan University and staged demonstrations for over six hours accusing the varsity administration of corruption in hiring a company for Rs 22 crore to prepare marksheets and certificates.

“The varsity had hired a company spending Rs 22 crore to prepare marksheet and certificates. Crores have been spent on a job that could be done for a few lakhs. This is a total waste of public funds. Today, we went to submit a memorandum to the VC Nimai Chandra Shah but the authorities did not allow us to meet him. After agitating for over six hours, the pro-VC assured us of looking into the matter,” said Anirban Roy Chowdhury, the SFI secretary of East Burdwan.

Sources said the varsity authorities this year had appointed an agency for Rs 22 crore to prepare marksheets. This led to several stakeholders of the university raising allegations of corruption in hiring the agency. The complaints forced the varsity authorities to order a probe into the allegations.

“We want the committee to turn up with its report as soon as possible. In earlier days we saw that the committee investigating any corruption goes in deep slumber. We will not allow any repetition of our past experience,” said a SFI leader.

Sensing trouble, varsity authorities on Tuesday morning locked the main gate of the Rajbati campus, where the VC’s office is located. When a large number of SFI workers reached the campus in a procession, they started an agitation in front of the gate and later broke the locks to enter inside. Once inside the campus, they started to protest in support of their demand.

As the agitation continued for almost six hours and the students laid siege to the main gate stopping anyone from leaving the campus, pro-VC Ashis Kumar Panigrahi assured the students that within seven days, the VC would meet the students regarding the alleged corruption.

“We left the campus only after the authorities agreed to meet the protesting students,” Roy Chowdhury said.